Wednesday 30 December 2015 19:14, UK
As Tiger Woods turns 40, we look back at some of the more memorable major victories from those in their forties.
The former world No 1 had won 14 major titles by the age of 32, but still has work to do if he is to ever match the daunting record of 18 held by Jack Nicklaus.
Whilst Woods' golfing future remains uncertain, telling reporters earlier that there was no "light at the end of the tunnel" in his recovery from his latest surgery, Nicklaus hasn't ruled out his record being broken one day by Tiger.
Although his last major came at the 2008 US Open, where he battled through the pain to edge past Rocco Mediate in a play-off at Torrey Pines, Woods can look back at a lengthy list of players to have celebrated a major victory after turning 40.
Here are the pick of those to have reached the winner's circle in a major during the latter stages of their careers…
Jack Nicklaus
The most successful major winner of all-time won three of his 18 major titles after turning 40, with the last of those victories majoring him the second-oldest major winner in all time.
Having suffered a winless year for the first time in his career during 1979, Nicklaus bounced back in some style with a record-breaking win in the US Open at Baltusrol.
A final-round 68 was enough for Nicklaus to see off nearest challenger Isao Aoki and claim a three-shot win, with victory his fourth in the tournament's history.
Things got even better for him two months later, when Nicklaus dominated the US PGA Championship to cruise to a seven-shot victory at Oak Hill, which remained the highest-ever winning margin until Rory McIlroy broke it in 2012.
Question marks over his longevity once again resurfaced after going two years without a win, only for Nicklaus to silence those critics with an unprecedented sixth Masters crown.
Heading into the final round four shots off the pace, Nicklaus was one of five players to hold the lead during a dramatic Sunday, with a back-nine 30 giving the 46-year-old a narrow one-shot win over Tom Kite and Greg Norman.
Ben Hogan
Only a clash in scheduling denied Hogan a crack at what would have made him the first golfer to win all four modern majors in a calendar year.
Already a six-time major winner, the 41-year-old followed a five-shot win at Augusta in 1953 with a six-stroke victory over Sam Snead at the US Open a couple of months later.
Hogan went on to complete a career Grand Slam with a maiden triumph at the Open Championship, but was unable to feature in the PGA Championship as the two tournaments overlapped. Still, a triple-crown was a feat that wasn't matched until Tiger Woods' memorable season in 2000.
Phil Mickelson
Mickelson has been a stalwart of the Open, missing the tournament once in the past 22 years, but it took him 20 appearances in golf's oldest major for him to finally lift the Claret Jug.
Lefty already had four majors to his name ahead of Muirfield in 2013, but looked unlikely to add another when he went into the final round in Scotland in a tie for ninth, and five strokes off the lead.
Two birdies on the front nine moved Mickelson within one of the lead as overnight pacesetter Lee Westwood stuttered, before four gains over the final six holes helped the American to the "best round of his career" and a three-shot victory.
Darren Clarke
The Northern Irishman had gone 10 years without a top-10 finish in a major when he made his way to the Royal St George's, but ended the week as one of the oldest first-time Open champions by lifting the Claret Jug at the 20th time of asking.
After taking a one-shot advantage into the final round, the-then 42-year-old opened up a four-shot lead over the chasing pack, meaning he could afford to bogey his final two holes and still win by three strokes ahead of Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson.
At the following day's press conference, a sleep-deprived Clarke revealed how he celebrated his win and told reporters: "I had quite a few pints and quite a few glasses of red wine and it all continued until about 30 minutes ago. It's been a very good night."
Mark O'Meara
At the 15th time of asking and having never finished higher than tied-fourth at Augusta, O'Meara overturned a two-shot deficit on the final day of the 1998 Masters to win the Green Jacket.
The-then 41-year-old still found himself one adrift of Fred Couples and David Duval with two holes to play, but closed with back-to-back birdies to snatch a one-shot victory.
Things got even better for the American later that year, as he prevailed over Brian Watts in a four-hole play-off at Royal Birkdale to earn a second major title.
Others
The oldest player to achieve major glory was Julius Boros, who was aged 48 when he held off Bob Charles during the 1968 US PGA Championship to win his third and final major title.
Tom Morris Snr dominated the early stages of the Open Championship, winning the tournament four times during a seven-year stretch during the 1860s, with the last of those come as a 46-year-old at Prestwick
Hale Irwin was 45 when he claimed a third US Open win at Medinah, the same age Jerry Barber was when he won his only major title at the 1961 US PGA Championship, while Ben Crenshaw turned 43 shortly before he won a second Green Jacket at Augusta.
Gary Player, Ernie Els, Raymond Floyd, Ben Crenshaw and Harry Vardon are just some of the others to have won a major after reaching the big 4-0, meaning it may still not be too late for Woods to add to his own tally.
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