Tiger Woods vs Jack Nicklaus: British Open's 'Old Course' to be the ultimate judge

By The Independent

"I'm still young. I'm not 40 yet. I know some of you guys think I'm buried and done, but I'm still right here in front of you. Yeah, I love playing. I love competing, and I love playing these events." This was the answer Tiger Woods gave to the question of beating Jack Nicklaus in the golfing arms race, which stands at 18 majors won.
The British Open's `Old Course' will be the ultimate arbiter. Delusion or a destiny fulfilled? We know what side of the divide Woods sits: "(I) hit the ball the best I've hit it in probably two years on Sunday. So that was awfully nice to be able to do coming into this week. I've hit the ball just as well in my practice rounds."

The idea of the Tiger resurrection at the home of golf is so powerful it drills a big red line through every other golfing narrative.

"I am excited every time I come back here. I've always loved this golf course, from the first time I played it back in '95."

It is our fault as much as his. So conditioned have we become by the Woods construction, it passes through the inner Tiger filter and emerges as a plausible account.

Woods in full chest-out, shoulders-back mode is still something to see. Few athletes REUTERS in the history of sport have controlled the space like this bloke.

It doesn't hurt to dream, of course. He is, for the moment at least, injury free, another rea son for him to get excited.

"I feel like my body is finally healed from the surgery last year. It would have been one thing if I would have gone through the procedure and then had the same swing, but I've changed the swing, too, and so that was kind of a double dipper where I had to fight both at the same time."