Tiger Woods checked in at No. 30 on USA TODAY Sports’ top 50 athletes of the decade.
Thirty-five members of the USA TODAY Sports staff voted to determine the list. Points were given in descending order, so an athlete who was voted No. 1 received 25 points, followed by No. 2 receiving 24 points and so on. Point totals are in parentheses.
Here’s why Woods is No. 30:
“Woods hasn’t been the same since he crashed his Escalade outside his Florida mansion on the day after Thanksgiving in 2009. He endured personal scandal and several surgical procedures on his back. But Woods had his share of moments of triumph on the golf course. He was named PGA Tour Player of the Year in 2013 and won 11 tournaments in the 2010s. His Masters victory in 2019 was one of the decade’s most dramatic moments and marked his 15th career major, keeping Woods within reach of Jack Nicklaus’ record of 18.”
World No. 1 Brooks Koepka showed up T-41.
“The 29-year-old golfer became one of the best big-game players on the planet in the last few years of the decade. He captured four major titles – twice taking home the PGA Championship (2018 and 2019) and twice winning the U.S. Open (2017 and 2018). When he wasn’t winning in 2019 he was in the hunt, finishing second at the Masters, second at the U.S. Open and fourth at the British Open.”
USA TODAY: Top 50 athletes of the decade
Other names of interest: Steph Curry checks in at No. 7. Ok, golf is just a hobby for him, but the dude has game. Tiger’s old girlfriend Lindsay Vonn made the list at No. 24. Rory McIlroy was listed second in the Others Receiving Votes category.
Oh, and LeBron James was No. 1 and Serena Williams was No. 2, in case you were wondering. See the full list here for more.
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