Tiger at Pebble Is Still Untouchable

Twenty-five years later, Tiger Woods’ 2000 U.S. Open remains the most dominant major performance ever — and I have a new metric, ELDRICK, to prove it.

Tiger Woods is silhouetted against the oceanside backdrop as he plays from the ninth fairway during the the 100th U.S. Open on June 14, 2000 at the Pebble Beach Golf Course. (Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images)

This week’s U.S. Open will bring together the best golfers in the world to face what is perennially the toughest test in the sport. This time, the challenge comes at fabled Oakmont Country Club just outside Pittsburgh, the site of many epic U.S. Opens over the years.

This era’s most dominant golfer, three-time major winner (and defending PGA Champion) Scottie Scheffler, is Polymarket’s favorite to win the tournament with a full quarter of the implied win probability available to the entire field, more than double that of anyone else:

But even as Scheffler sets the standard for golf excellence today, this year’s U.S. Open also serves as a reminder of just how much higher the bar can be raised. That’s because it’s been 25 years now since Tiger Woods redefined dominance with the most impressive major championship victory ever — a masterpiece that has been seldom challenged, and never topped, in the years since.