Ex-coach says Woods could still pass Nicklaus

Tiger Woods has 40 more majors to play in. He's got plenty of time to overtake Jack Nicklaus’ record 18 major titles …but he has to do it after the age of 35. Does he still have the desire, passion, and body to do it?

STATELINE – Tiger Woods is missing his second straight major championship this week, but his former swing coach Hank Haney says Woods could still surpass the record 18 major titles won by Jack Nicklaus.

Woods, who owns 14 major titles, needs to be healthy enough to practice and play regularly to have a chance at the record, Haney said.

Woods is sitting out this week’s British Open, after also missing last month’s US Open with left leg injuries suffered at the Masters in April.

“Given the opportunity to practice and play, if he still has the desire and the passion, and he has the body that will allow him to do it, then there’s no reason to think that he couldn’t still break Nicklaus’ record,” said Haney, who was attending a celebrity golf tournament at Lake Tahoe this weekend.

Haney noted that Nicklaus was 46 when he won his last major, the Masters in 1986. Woods is 35.

“Tiger has 40 more majors to play in. But these majors are slipping by,” Haney said. “And then you look and you say he just needs to win five more. But the fourth and fifth one will be the really difficult ones. But you can say he’s got plenty of time, he could do it.”

However, there’s a less optimistic way to see it, Haney said, noting that Woods must win “more majors than Phil Mickelson has won his whole career — and he has to do it after the age of 35.”

“When you start looking at it like that, you think this is going to be really difficult,” Haney said. “But I wouldn’t put anything past him — if he can prepare and play.”