Tiger Woods' Drive for Greatness Should Start at Augusta

After Tiger Woods won the 2008 U.S. Open in a grueling 18-hole playoff with Rocco Mediate to win his 14th major tournament, there was no doubt in anyone’s mind that he would become the best golfer of all time.

Woods did not win any major tournaments in 2009 and one will never know if it was his knee or guilt over the subsequent extra marital affair that broke his concentration.

Surely no one has stepped up this year and it is not even known for sure if Woods will play in the Masters Tournament, set for April 5-11 in Augusta, Ga.

Staying at home might be the right thing to do. Returning to the Masters as the game's greatest player would make great theater.

If so, he will be on path to surpass Jack Nicklaus’ 18 major tournament wins.

But let me ask something. If he decided he needed to concentrate on his family and gave up the game altogether, would he still be deemed the greatest golfer of all time?

Woods has 71 tour wins, Nicklaus has 73.

So it is close. But Nicklaus is still ahead in both wins and major championships, by a narrow thread.

But before you judge me as racist, let me say I am guilty of something else: an old-school mentality.

Nicklaus is still better.

Now if Tiger comes back and wins four majors in the next few years and four more PGA wins, he will be the greatest ever.

And he already is the greatest of his time, as Nicklaus of his era.

In 49 major championship starts, Tiger Woods has 14 wins, six second-place finishes, 23 top-three finishes, 26 top-five finishes and 32 top-ten finishes.

He has a record four straight wins on the PGA.

Woods is 14-1 when going into the final round of a major with at least a share of the lead, losing a two-stroke lead and losing by three strokes to Y.E. Yang in the 2009 U.S. Open.

In major championships, Nicklaus has 18 wins, 19 second-place finishes, 46 top-three finishes, 56 top-five finishes, and 73 top 10 finishes.

Nicklaus won 10 of 12 major championships when having the lead outright or tied for the lead after 54 holes and won eight times when trailing after 54 holes.

And who could forget Nicklaus’ 1986 Master Championship victory at the age of 46?

Their records are close.

I didn’t feel that Jack had a chance to mentioned in the same breath until I read the recent Vanity Fair article on Tiger Woods.

Tiger was portrayed as a skirt-chasing womanizer who married only for public appearance.

But being an understanding man, everyone makes mistakes and Tiger has a chance for redemption.

Here’s what Jack said about the whole Tiger affair shortly after it happened:

"Our public is pretty forgiving at times," Nicklaus said in a Web site story. "Time usually heals all wounds. I think the hardest thing is obviously his family. That's a private matter for him and his family."

He also said the affair was “none of his business."

"He's a great athlete," Nicklaus said. "He'll figure it out."

In Tiger Woods only public statement on his Web site, Woods wrote, in part:

“I have let my family down and I regret those transgressions with all of my heart. I have not been true to my values and the behavior my family deserves. I am not without faults and I am far short of perfect. I am dealing with my behavior and personal failings behind closed doors with my family. Those feelings should be shared by us alone.

He continued:

“Whatever regrets I have about letting my family down have been shared with and felt by us alone. I have given this a lot of reflection and thought and I believe that there is a point at which I must stick to that principle even though it's difficult.

I will strive to be a better person and the husband and father that my family deserves. For all of those who have supported me over the years, I offer my profound apology.”

To be sure, fate has delivered a blow to the persona of Tiger Woods.

Time will tell.

Golf is suffering without the greatness of Tiger Woods.