Plurality of Tiger Woods’ peers thinks he’ll win again on the PGA Tour
Tiger Woods hasn’t won in three years and is on the sidelines preparing for a return after two back surgeries last fall. Despite all the evidence to suggest the 79-time PGA Tour winner will struggle in his comeback, a plurality of his PGA Tour peers believe Woods will win again.
In an anonymous survey of PGA Tour, LPGA Tour and PGA Tour Champions players conducted by Sports Illustrated, 42 percent of PGA Tour players said they think Woods will win again. Meanwhile 27 percent said he wouldn’t and almost one-third, 31 percent, said they weren’t sure.
The guys on the 50-plus PGA Tour Champions — the guys Woods walloped in the prime of his career — are more optimistic. A whopping 72 percent of those players surveyed said they think Woods will win again.
Meanwhile, the LPGA players surveyed didn’t think Woods would return to the winner’s circle. Just 36 percent of the women surveyed said he would pick up PGA Tour win No. 80.
Looking toward the future of the sport, 56 percent of PGA Tour players think Jordan Spieth will win more majors in the future than Rory McIlroy, despite McIlroy, who turns 27 today, having doubled up Spieth’s double from 2015.
And, if you ever get into a bar fight and you’re looking for a PGA Tour player to come to your rescue, hope Ernie Els is there to help. In response to a question asking which PGA Tour player you’d want most to have your back, Els garnered 15 percent of the vote.
Ryan Ballengee is a Yahoo Sports contributor. Find him on Facebook and Twitter.
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