Woods running out of time to catch Nicklaus

Woods running out of time to catch Nicklaus

All you have to do is look at the calendar to understand that.Woods, just 35, is still a very young man. But going out and playing a sport — even shuffleboard — is very different from, well, sitting on your bottom all day and typing out Word documents. Woods is on the downside of his career.Not many athletes are great past that magical age.To use the example What Is Wrong With American Golfer of the man Woods is chasing for the most victories in major championships, Jack Nicklaus won 14 of his 18 prior to turning 36.That still gives Woods a good crack at beating the record, and his showing at the recent Masters gives those in his corner hope he will be able to do that.Woods won 14 majors in the 12-year period from 1997-2008. Certainly, duplicating that feat is unrealistic.Nicklaus won two majors in 1975, at age 35, and one more before he turned 40. He won three majors — capped by the magnificent 1986 Masters at age 46 — before his championship run ran out.Woods may well use his Masters finish as a springboard to championships in the rest of this year’s majors — the U.S. Open, British Open and PGA Championship. He may well win long after that. It just won’t be the prolonged run it was before.