Tiger or Jack with a PUTT FOR THE WIN? Was Tom Watson's response ever in doubt?!

Tom Watson was asked who he would rather have on a clutch four-foot putt - Tiger Woods or Jack Nicklaus? You probably won't be surprised with the answer he gave...

Andy Roberts's picture
Wed, 5 Jan 2022
Tiger or Jack with a PUTT FOR THE WIN? Was Tom Watson's response ever in doubt?!

Tom Watson was just coming to the end of his interview with Golfweek before he was asked one final pressing question: Tiger Woods or Jack Nicklaus on a must-make "four-foot putt for the marbles?"

For those none the wiser, let's just say Tom and Tiger have never really seen eye-to-eye on the PGA Tour down the years.

Therefore the legendary eight-time major winner's response to Golfweek's Adam Schupak should probably have never been in doubt. 

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A tough question for sure given Tiger and Jack are regarded by many in the sport as not only the outstanding two golfers of our time but also the greatest clutch putters, too. 

It's just the manner of Watson's reply that made us stifle a laugh. 

"Jack," said Tom defiantly. "He would make it for sure."

What, and peak Tiger would miss would he? 

From 2002 through 2005, Woods had 1,540 putts on the PGA Tour from three feet and in. He missed three of them. 

We don't have similar stats available for Nicklaus, but we are fairly certain they would never have beat that. 

Even in a recent Golf.com interview with renowned top putter Brad Faxon, the eight-time PGA Tour winner voted Woods as the best putter of all time with Nicklaus coming in sixth. 

"Made every putt he had to," Faxon said of Woods. 

"Hope this doesn't insult him," he said of Nicklaus' sixth position in his Top 10 list. 

Faxon even had Watson himself in fourth, with Seve Ballesteros in third and Ben Crenshaw in second. 

Anyway, a slightly strange remark from Watson yet when you consider Tom and Tiger's frosty relationship down the years it's probably not much of a surprise at all. 

From the cursing and slamming of clubs to the detached disdain, Watson has been troubled by Woods' antics for a while.

Golf is a gentleman's game and players should be acting accordingly, certainly in the eyes of Watson.

"I feel that he has not carried the same stature that other great players that have come along like Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Byron Nelson, the Hogans, in the sense that there was language and club throwing on the golf course," said Watson. 

GolfMagic even once heard from a former European Ryder Cup captain that Watson reacted strongly when he heard Woods had been "demanding team orders and throwing his weight around in the US Ryder Cup team-room."

Watson was having none of it. 

The eight-time major champion has rarely come out and expressed his honest opinion of Woods, but he did once use a tongue-in-cheek response of "Tiger doesn't need my advice."

Watson was also a bit miffed ahead of the 2014 Ryder Cup when Woods withdrew through injury.

While Woods' statement made it sound like he had contacted captain Watson, he said he only learned of Woods' withdrawal after calling him.

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