The Background
Fourteen major championships, 106 worldwide wins. 79 PGA Tour wins. All sensational career achievements by Tiger Woods, but arguably the most mind-boggling feat of all is his amount of cuts made.
Since he turned professional in 1996, Woods has only missed the cut in 17 PGA Tour events, the most recent of those coming at the Genesis Open in February.
This week’s AT&T Byron Nelson marks 13 years since one of the most incredible records in golf came to an end.
The Scene
Tiger Woods’s 2005 season was going along nicely – you could say ‘Tiger-esque’.
He won in his second start at the Buick Invitational, a few weeks later he won again at the Ford Championship, and at the first major of the year, The Masters, Tiger defeated Chris DiMarco in a playoff.
Entering the week of the then EDS Byron Nelson Championship, Tiger hadn’t missed a cut since the 1998 Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, when he withdrew after just two rounds instead of having to return six months later to complete the weather-delayed tournament.
That’s 142 tournaments completed worldwide, or seven years, without missing the cut.
On the 36th hole at TPC Four Seasons, home of the Byron Nelson, Tiger needed to hole a 15-footer for par to make the cut and extend the streak to 143.
He missed.
“I fight all the way in. That’s how I am,” Tiger said.
“I think that’s indicative to the longevity of the streak. You’ve got to give it everything you’ve got, got to have some good breaks along the way and I’ve definitely had my share, but also I’ve gutted it out at times where – like today I didn’t quite feel very good, but other times I’ve gotten it in the clubhouse.”
The incredible streak came to an end, quite fittingly, at the home of Byron Nelson – the man that had previously held the record of 113 for consecutive cuts made.
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The Legacy
Since that day, Woods has missed the cut a further 15 times on the PGA Tour, taking his total to 18 worldwide. To put that into perspective, Jordan Spieth has missed 19 cuts as a professional, Justin Thomas has missed 23, and Phil Mickelson has missed 83.
In a career dominated by victories, it’s his consistency that has been the most mind-blowing.