Tiger Woods turns 40, golf future uncertain

Ten days after Tiger Woods turned 24, he picked up his 16th career PGA Tour victory by beating Ernie Els in an epic battle at Kapalua.

More than winning his fifth straight PGA Tour event — the longest streak since 1953 — it was how he won. They matched eagles on the 18th in regulation and birdies in the playoff, and then Woods ended it on the second extra hole with a 40-foot birdie putt that was downhill, into the grain and broke hard to the left.

Els saw the future that January day in 2000, and it was daunting.

"I think he's a legend in the making," Els said. "He's 24. He's probably going to be bigger than Elvis when he gets into his 40s."

Tiger Woods entered his 40s on today.

Bigger than Elvis?

No, because golf isn't in the same galaxy as rock and roll.

But he was right about Woods being a legend in the making, and it didn't take long. His 15-shot victory in the U.S. Open that summer at Pebble Beach was the most dominant in 140 years of major championships. He had the career Grand Slam at 24 and remains the only player to win multiple majors in back-to-back seasons.

"Everyone has strengths and weaknesses," Adam Scott said. "We've only seen one bloke out here who did everything better than anyone else."

Three surgeries on his lower back in just over 18 months make it hard to gauge his future.