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Tiger Woods is arguably the best golfer of all time, but his career was not without its ups and downs. The biggest dramatic downturns in his career occurred between August 2013 and September 2018. He went on a winless run that ended with a win at the Tour Championship on September 23, 2018. At the time, many fans believed Woods was back in form, but Stephen A. Smith disagreed.
The $45 million reporter (according to Celebrity Net Worth) was present at the September 24, 2018, episode of ESPN's First Take, where he claimed that Woods' comeback couldn't be measured with a PGA Tour win. He added that Woods' comeback could only be marked by winning one of the golf majors. Even a top ten finish in a major, according to the reporter, was not enough for fans to claim that Woods was back to his best.
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Smith said:
"You want to label a [top-10 major finish] as Tiger being back? Cool. That’s not my definition of Tiger being back. My definition of Tiger being back is when he wins a major. Even when I was saying I don’t know if he’ll win a major again, I could see that he might win a PGA Tour event again. I sincerely hope that I’m wrong - one of the first things I did yesterday was congratulate him."
He continued:
"He is great, not just for the sport of golf, but for the sports world. It was unbelievable watching that crowd follow him. That’s something special to behold - nobody could do that but Tiger. But you know what, he shot a one-under yesterday - he was five shots up and almost lost that."
Interestingly, Tiger Woods did win a major following his winless streak between 2013-2018. He won the 2019 Masters and then the 2019 Zozo Championship to tie the record for most PGA Tour wins at 82 alongside Sam Snead.
Stephen A. Smith once claimed that Tiger Woods was a 'recreational golfer'
Tiger Woods' 2025 season has not been particularly successful. On March 11, he underwent surgery for a ruptured Achilles tendon. He is still out of action as a result of the surgery, and it seems unlikely that he will return this season.
On ESPN's First Take on March 12, 2025, Stephen A. Smith discussed Tiger Woods' injuries and expressed how the golfer should never return to the course.
The reporter claimed:
"I mean no disrespect. To me, Tiger Woods is a recreational golfer at this point... his health is so bad. He's gone through so many physical tragedies... walking the 18-hole course is not something he can do anymore and that has been the case for years."
Smith's statements drew a lot of attention from fans, with many even agreeing with them.
