In the coming years we will more than likely see the rewriting of just about every golfing record there is.
Tiger Woods is on pace to completely shatter Jack Nicklaus’ record of 18 career major wins. Woods is also on pace to break Sam Snead’s record of 82 career wins.
Two decades ago, most would have thought each of these records to be utterly unattainable, yet we are likely to see them both fall in the coming years.
Physical Fitness along with the continuous improvements to equipment have extended the prime of a players’ career by at least five years, thus presenting an additional five years to chase down the record books.
As we watch in amazement as records previously thought to be far beyond anyone’s reach begin to fall, there is one record that will remain safe for a very long time.
That record is Byron Nelson’s 11 consecutive PGA Tour wins.
Not taking anything away from the fact that Byron Nelson was one of the greatest players to ever pick up a golf club while epitomizing absolutely everything it means to be a true gentleman, there are three main reasons why we are very unlikely to see Nelson’s record fall anytime soon.
First, Nelson’s incredible streak took place in 1945, a year when many of the top players on tour, including Ben Hogan for at least part of the streak, were still deployed to World War II.
Nelson, like many others during this tumultuous time in our nation’s history, enlisted in the army. However, Nelson was prohibited from military service during World War II due to a blood disorder that caused his blood to clot four times slower than normal.
The second reason why Nelson’s 11 consecutive wins is not likely to be matched in this day and age, is due to the unprecedented expansion of the game across much of the world.
In 1945, golf was not nearly as popular as it is today. Golf had not really taken off in most of Europe (aside from the United Kingdom), Australia, Asia or South America.
Due to golf’s recent expansion which has spread like wildfire to nearly every corner of the world, the total number of people playing the game has increased tenfold
This massive increase in the number of people playing the game has resulted in a much larger pool of players competing just to make it onto the PGA Tour, which has in turn resulted in an increased level of parity, the likes of which have never before been seen on the PGA Tour.
In 1945, there were only a handful of players who had the ability to win a professional event each week.
In 2008, there are literally 150+ players who have a legitimate chance of winning each and every week if they are able to get hot.
This substantial increase in the level of competition and parity currently seen on the PGA Tour makes it far more difficult to string together 11 straight victories in this day and age.
Tiger Woods has come the closest in modern times when he flirted with this record between 2006 and 2007 with seven consecutive PGA Tour victories, still a far cry from Nelson’s 11.
Finally, Nelson did not have to deal with the intense media scrutiny that would completely envelop any player who even came close to 11 consecutive wins.
Earlier this year Tiger Woods’ winning streak reached five straight events between 2007 and 2008.
Woods was not even half way to Nelson’s 11 consecutive wins and the media attention as to whether or not Woods could reach 11 consecutive wins was already beginning to mount.
Just imagine if Woods had actually gotten close to 11?
Byron Nelson played during a very different time in the game’s history.
In Nelson’s day, most so-called gentleman of the game remained amateurs as they would have been making far more money as doctors, lawyers, stockbrokers, etc. than they would have made as a professional golfer.
After several years on the professional tour, which was a lot more grueling back then without the presence of luxury gulf streak jets to take players from tournament to tournament, Nelson decided that he wanted to leave this tough life as a professional golfer in exchange the quite life on a sprawling Texas ranch.
Back in1945 there were no million dollar endorsement deals or $10 million dollar purses. Nelson was playing simply to earn enough money so that he and his wife could purchase their dream ranch in the Texas countryside.
Perhaps the motivation Nelson had to earn enough money to leave the grueling life of a professional golfer in exchange for a quite, simpler life as a rancher outweighs any motivation modern day professionals have for winning.
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about 1 month ago
Good article, I agree the record will never be broken.
"This substantial increase in the level of competition and parity currently seen on the PGA Tour makes it far more difficult to string together 11 straight victories in this day and age."
Which is why I think what Tiger did at 7 straight wins in almost as equal to if not more difficult that the 11 Neslon set. The level of competition today is far greater than it was in Nelson's time.
The barrier to entry for this great sport is slowly coming down. In Nelson's day golf was a game for rich white people. In Tiger's day golf is a game for rich people of any race. I can't wait to see the day when it's a game for everyone, like soccer. Then, and only then will we see golf's greatest.
from about 1 month ago
Thanks for the comment Ben.
I actually didn't think of it that way but you're right, Tiger winning 7 straight events in this day and age is probably equally as impressive as Nelson's 11 straight back in 1945.
Very good point.
Thanks again.
about 1 month ago
Great article Martin. I myself being a minority, cannot agree more with Ben. In my mind, golf is the greatest of all games. It is a trajedy that even this day in age, more people don't have access to a golf course, or don't have the resources or money to learn and play the gam.
To comment on Byron Nelson. He was truely a gentleman, and we need more people like him today in the game. I don't know that the likes of Byron ever will emerge again, not to say that there aren't great people in the game today.
The game has changed so much too. More media, more money, more exposure, less of a need to play often. That's another reason why I also think his record will never be broken. Good stuff!
from about 1 month ago
Tragedy? Joe where do you live? There are more golf courses per capita in the US than ever. There are courses closing because they can't get enough traffic to keep the doors open. Public golf courses don't discriminate, you have money you get on.
Most communities have a municipal course or First Tee that offer greens fees for under $20 a round. A set of golf clubs from Walmart will cost $129.99. If people want to play they can play. People just prefer to spend their dollars on other things.
The biggest reason Tiger won't break the record is he skips too many tourneys. Since 2004, he averages 17 PGA events a year.
Nice article....
about 1 month ago
Hogan had the second longest streak after Nelson at 6. Tiger tied that in (I think) 2000. The 2006 streak was the second time he got to 6 and he broke that with a 7.
The fact that he's had 3 streaks of more than 5 is another one of his amazing achievements. The only arguments people are going to have about Woods in the future is which of his accomplishments is most impressive.
Has Mickelson ever even sniffed back to back wins? I don't think so.
from about 1 month ago
Thanks for the comment Lou.
I agree. The fact that Woods has had 3 streaks of 5 or more wins is amazing.
This year was kind of an exception because Perry, Singh, Kim and Villegas all won multiple times. But if you look at previous seasons over the past few years, other than Woods, even multiple PGA Tour winners is quite rare which shows just how much parity there is on the tour at the moment.
I am not sure if Mickelson has even won back-to-back tournaments. If he has, he definitely has not done it often, that's for sure.
Thanks again.
about 1 month ago
Lucky, maybe tragedy wasn't the word. I live in Hampton, VA, and there is not that opportunity for poor people in this area to play golf, and learn it at an affordable rate. I am sure that's not the case everywhere, but I was just comparing the accessibility to play golf to that of soccer, which one of the earlier comments mentioned.
As I said, golf is the greatest game in my mind, due to the facts that it emphazises integrity and good sportsmanship. It is also very peaceful and relaxing to play. I just think the game would be better off it was a little more affordable. The First Tee is a great program, that is still growing.
about 1 month ago
I would say that although golf has become a lot more accessible for people of lower income, however it is unfortunitaly still a sport played mostly by the middle-class and wealthy.
Sure, public courses don't disgriminate, however, a round of golf on a decent public course can still cost between $50-$70. The majority of players who are on the PGA Tour likely put in 6-8 hours days of practice and playing nearly every single day growing up (at least during the summer months) as in today's game, that is what it takes to make it.
Allowing a child to play a round of golf on a public course at $50 a pop nearly every day for four months of a summer will cost around $6,000. That is not inlcuding equipment, any time at all spent on a driving range (which also costs money at public courses or public driving ranges) or any instruction. Now people of lower income can definitely enjoy the game of golf now a day by playing sparringly. However, for a family of lower means it is still very, very difficult to allow their children a real chance at making it as a professional golfer.
Paying $6,000 (at the minimum) to allow a child to play golf every day during a summer is becoming even a stretch for a middle class family during these times.
about 1 month ago
Good article, Martin. I list this record on my profile as the most unbreakable in all sports.
As for golf's accessability, it has more to do with perceived uppityness of club professionals by those who have not been properly exposed to it. The acceptable rules of behavior in the golf culture can be very intimidating. Not to mention that many courses refuse your green fee money if you are not properly dressed or try to share a set of clubs or show up at the wrong time or day etc. Whatever it is, golf is not growing inside the U.S. at all while the next generation of kids are learning soccer and basketball at the park for free.
Closed golf courses sure make nice parks.
from about 1 month ago
Thanks for the comment and Pick of Day vote J Michael.
I would be shocked if anyone break's this record anytime soon. Ben (from the first comment in this article) made a good point though.
The fact that Tiger has been able to string together 7 wins in 2006-2007 and five wins in a row in 2007-2008 is nearly as impressive as Nelson's 11 in a row due to the hugely increased level of parity on the PGA Tour today.
But records are records no matter when they are achieved and I very highly doubt we will see Nelson's record of 11 consecutive wins ever fall.
Thanks again.
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