The note Tiger Woods was sent by Byron Nelson in 1999 about breaking his PGA Tour record

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By the end of 1999, Tiger Woods had shown more than enough to suggest that he was going to go on and become one of the greatest golfers of all-time.

Tiger Woods had won The Masters for the first time in 1997, reaching world number one that same year. Meanwhile, he secured his second major title at the PGA Championship in 1999. But it was another achievement the year before the turn of the millennium which was arguably even more impressive.

Woods only won once in 1998. However, he more than made up for that the following year, as his victory at Medinah was one of eight for the youngster in the season. Woods was also part of the US Ryder Cup team which produced the most incredible comeback at Brookline.

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Quite remarkably however, that was nowhere near the most wins a single player has managed in the same season. That honour still belongs to Byron Nelson, who won 18 times in 1945, including 11 tournaments in a row at one stage.

The note Byron Nelson sent Tiger Woods in 1999

But it is interesting that Nelson seemed to believe that Woods had the potential to rival that tally at some stage in the future. As revealed by the book Tiger, Tiger by James Patterson, Nelson sent Woods a note towards the end of 1999 after his incredible year.

“Tiger, I love watching you play on the TV, it’s a lot of fun to watch you. If you do break my record, I’ll be the first one to congratulate you. I had the record for 55 years. If you go ahead and break it, Merry Christmas,” he said.

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Woods would go on to win nine times in 2000. Of course, that would include three major titles on his way to sealing the Tiger Slam when he won at The Masters in the first major of 2001.

For many, the way Woods played in those years represented the greatest run they had ever seen. It is not an overstatement to suggest that he completely changed the game, attracting a completely different audience to the game at a time when golf really needed it.

And yet, Nelson’s record remains in tact. He is five clear of anyone else, while no-one has got into double figures since 1950.

The game has clearly changed beyond recognition since the days of Nelson and Ben Hogan. However, it is truly frightening to think of what Nelson achieved nearly 80 years ago – particularly when you think of what Scottie Scheffler accomplished in winning eight times worldwide in 2024.