Do you think this will one day (Or has it already) equaled the Palmer / Nicklaus or Nicklaus / Trevino duals???
I think it has already.
brianf
How so ? It isn't even close IMO. I like VJ , but he has a ways to go before he can be considered in the same class as Jack , Arnie & Lee. How many times have VJ & Tiger even been paired on Sunday, much less in contention or in contention in a major ?
i think it definitely has the potential to be an exciting rivalry, but then again every sunday duel with tiger is great (tiger vs may @pga, tiger vs dimarco @augusta, tiger vs phil @doral). however, it is true that VJ still has some ways to go as he has not really challenged tiger consistently when he's in top form. if this year's tiger butted heads with last year's vijay, sparks would fly.
I get the feeling that Tiger fears no one. Phil, not a chance. Ernie, Uh Uh. Retief, no way.
Now I doubt Tiger fears VJ but I do think Tiger kicks it up a knotch if he is head to head with Singh. He does not just want to beat VJ he wants to beat him by like 10 shots.
The Tiger vs VJ rivalry is about the only one (other than possibly Tiger vs Phil) that the media can try to build up. They've rarely even been paired together, much less on Sunday in a Major. Even the media hype can't put this one in the same neighborhood as Jack vs Arnie. Jack and Arnie battled for years on the course and still battle for design jobs off the course. That's a rivalry that Tiger vs VJ has a long, long, way to go to try to match. :nodsmiley
The Tiger vs VJ rivalry is about the only one (other than possibly Tiger vs Phil) that the media can try to build up. They've rarely even been paired together, much less on Sunday in a Major. Even the media hype can't put this one in the same neighborhood as Jack vs Arnie. Jack and Arnie battled for years on the course and still battle for design jobs off the course. That's a rivalry that Tiger vs VJ has a long, long, way to go to try to match. :nodsmiley
I could not agree with you more, I'm a huge Tiger fan, the kid is in a class of his own and unless someone appears that is in the same category as Tiger we wont be seeing anything that would resemble the Jack and Arnie duels I grew up watching. VJ is a great golfer no doubt about that, he is the best of them out there ( other than Tiger ) but in my humble opinion he has a heck of a long way to go to be on the same level as Mr. Woods. His record ( VJ's ) of wins is outstanding but we have to take into consideration the fact that he enters a great deal more tournaments than Tiger.
It's too bad that Vijay's not 10 years younger. I think he's the only top-notch player out there who's not intimidated by Tiger. I really don't think anything rattles VJ and when he's putting decently he'll give Tiger, even at his best, all the competition he can handle. Hopefully we'll get to see it a few times before VJ runs out of gas.
Great point, Waz, it is too bad that Vijay isn't 10 yrs younger, because that would be something special to look forward to.
Another thing to note: When people compare Tiger's rivals to Jack's rivals, they tend to look at total majors won. Player won 9, Watson 8, Palmer 8, Trevino 6, etc.
Els has 3, Singh 3, Mickelson 2, Goosen 2, but, THEY ARE NOT DONE. Who's to say that each of them, or someone else coming up in the ranks, cannot get to 5, 6, 7 majors? When all is said and done, and the majors are counted, this current era may very well closely resemble Jack's era in terms of rivalries and great players.
1. there are a lot of very good players out there, & they do all seem to get their day
2 One of those good players is on form one day & not the next.
So we don't really see both Vij' & Woods playing well on the same day & we will often see other good players with them one day & the next that player will be no-where to be seen in the listings.
Tiger has so far shown himself to be the most consitently good player out there, who does also have an edge on most of the field including Vij'.
Yes it would be nice if Vije were 10 years younger & also at the peak Tiger is currently.
What would also have been as interesting, would have been if Tiger had been around when Nicklaus, Palmer, Watson, Faldo, Travino, Seve, & numerous others had been at their peak, what would have occured then.
If they were to lock horns in a few great major duels, then possibly they could have a case to make it a great rivalry. However, other than the 2001 Players when Tiger held Vijay off, I can't think of them being that close and both playing well in a big event even. Right now is when golf needs them both on top of their games...in the same events. :nodsmiley The Trevino/Nicklaus might be a little more fair comparison than Arnie and Jack, as Trevino was really a true underdog (unlike Arnia against Jack) in that one but managed to pull a few away from Jack. :nodsmiley
Vijay and Tiger seem to be trading money titles and Player Of The Year awards, but they have never gone head-to-head in a major. That's what they need. Final round...final pairing...at Augusta.
But with Vijay closing in on his mid-40's we're running out of time. In the end I think Phil Mickelson will provide more of a rivalry with Tiger than Vijay, or even Ernie Els.
August 31st, 2005, 10:56 PM
Right now is when golf needs them both on top of their games...in the same events. :nodsmiley The Trevino/Nicklaus might be a little more fair comparison than Arnie and Jack, as Trevino was really a true underdog (unlike Arnia against Jack) in that one but managed to pull a few away from Jack. :nodsmiley
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