How Good is Tiger Woods?

After watching Tiger on the prowl at the Doral Open in Miami, it was deja vu all over again. The excitement of Tiger mania came exploding back to life, at a time when many golfing aficionados wondered whether "el tigre" still had it in him to terrify his opponents and completely dominate the field.

In this reporter's eyes there was a definite change in Tiger's carriage and persona. He no longer looked so much like the gifted young teenager but projected a confident manliness that evoked memories of the past greats in the golfing kingdom.

It now appeared certain that Tiger was maturing before our eyes into one of the greatest superstars of golf and sports, if he wasn't considered so already. In this one tournament he erased all doubts about his pedigree and caliber.

Yes, perhaps we would now look upon Tiger with the same reverence for talent as we have given to the likes of Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Ben Hogan, and Bobby Jones.

It is not so much that the public projected reverence onto these men, but that these golfing greats truly merited the awe of their fellow golfers and their millions of golfing enthusiasts. They are held in high esteem not just because of their stellar records but also because of the type of trustworthy and noble men they proved to be over time.

They were great ambassadors for golf by upholding the gentlemanly traditions of this ancient game. Such are the kind that drift to the top in arguably the most difficult individual game in sports. These are the icons that represent the indefinable greatness of the game of golf. Putting another mortal among or above their midst may not seem fitting at this juncture in time.

But Tiger is on the path of raising even higher the standard for excellence in all areas of shotmaking and course management. On Tiger's official website you are greeted with an introductory statement, "I know what I want to accomplish and I know how to get there", followed by "The ultimate goal is to be the best. Whether that's the best ever, who knows? I Hope so". Can this bold confidence be denied?

Only a short time ago, many were wondering whether the spark had sputtered out for Tiger as it has for so many bright golfing talents in the past. Yes, the jury was still out in many people's minds as to whether Tiger could come back and resume his dominating role. Many bright stars of the past had failed to do so, and perhaps it was only a matter of time before Tiger succumbed to the same end.

So high are the expectations for Tiger that these thoughts were circulating even though he was still rated number two in the world. Prior to and during his stay in the number two spot, Tiger underwent what appeared to be many lackluster performances for a golfer of his immense talent, and as a result, many were wondering in what direction Tiger would go.

Then Tiger reared back and made his Palmer–like charge at the par five 12th to go two strokes up on Phil Mickelson. He subdued this 605-yard monster with an eagle (two shots under par). The Fans' acknowledgment of this herculean feat quickly reverberated in loud roars. This felt like the turning point in the tournament and seemed to put Tiger's victory stamp on the fairways of Doral.

And in typical fashion, when it mattered most, he drained a 28-foot birdie put on the 17th to re-establish control of the tournament. With this win, Tiger now appears to be ready again for a commanding performance at this year's Master's tournament in April. Can Phil Mickelson and Vijay Singh, among others stop his indomitable charge? We will see.

How good is Tiger Woods? Well, his total PGA regular and major tournament wins may eventually surpass those of Jack Nicklaus, the golden bear. Jack is still the undisputed king of golf in terms of his overall record.

But no golfer has accomplished as much in such a short period of time as Tiger. Although Jack and Tiger have almost similar accomplishments at comparable ages, Tiger is a little further ahead than Jack at his current age. And perhaps more importantly, Tiger seems to have a greater repertoire of skills than Jack did.

The answer to the question "How good is Tiger Woods" should be a little easier to answer. He is very good. To be more specific, he is setting new standards for greatness in the game of golf, and he may just be the best that ever played.