Nicklaus: 2010 to be big year in majors for Tiger

Tiger Woods is four majors behind the record set by Jack Nicklaus going into a year in which three majors will be held on Woods' favorite courses — Augusta National, Pebble Beach and St. Andrews.

"If Tiger is going to pass my record, this is a big year for him in that regard," Nicklaus said Friday.

Woods has never missed a Masters or a U.S. Open since 1995.

"I don't know the answer what he's going to do and what he's going to play. He's the only one who can answer that," Nicklaus, who won 18 majors in his career, said during a conference call ahead of his 70th birthday on Jan. 21. "Certainly, this year with where the majors are ... he basically owns all three places.

"If he doesn't play this year, the chore will be a little tougher."

Woods has won 14 majors, with half of them coming at those three courses. He has won the Masters four times (the most recent in 2005), the British Open twice at St. Andrews by a combined 13 shots, and the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach by a record 15 shots.

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