Bay Hill Invitational 2013: Tiger Woods with Much to Prove Despite No. 1 Ranking

Let's not jump on that Tiger Woods bandwagon too fast.

With a win at the 2013 Arnold Palmer Invitational, Woods leapfrogged Rory McIlroy to become the No. 1 golfer in the world. It's his third win of 2013. Inevitably, the focus has shifted to Augusta, Georgia, and the Masters, which tees off on April 11.

At this point, Woods still has something to prove on the course. A win at Bay Hill is fine and all, but he's won there eight times. It's a course he feels extremely comfortable on. While a title there counts just the same for Woods, it doesn't have the same implications for him as it would another golfer.

Whether it was the knee surgeries or marriage trouble or a combination of the two, Woods has struggled to get everything in his game going. If his driving and accuracy were strong, his putting let him down. Then it would be the other way around.

Woods looked tuned in at Bay Hill, and everything was working.

Granted, he's looking stronger than he did last year, and it was this time last year that people were hyping Woods up for the 2012 Masters.

He blew the competition away at Bay Hill, winning by five strokes. Then he laid an egg in Augusta, finishing in a tie for 40th at five-over. Suffice it to say, the result was a tad disappointing.

People who say that Woods is back or should be a favorite at the Masters are more than likely failing to heed the lessons of last year.

It's clear that Woods will go down as one of the greatest golfers—if not the greatest—of all time; however, his legacy still remains a bit in doubt. He's four major titles behind Jack Nicklaus' elusive 18.

Woods still has plenty of chances to craft his career narrative, which is headed in one of two directions.

He'll either be remembered as a force of nature for much of his career, until injuries and personal issues derailed his run at history. Or he'll surpass Nicklaus and arguably strengthen his status as a legend, considering the massive comeback he's been forced to make.

Just as people were extremely too quick to write Woods off as finished or washed up, there are those at the other end of the spectrum to preach just as quickly that Woods is now back to his rightful place atop the sport and will rampage through the major championships.

More than likely, the Woods of 2013 is somewhere in the middle.

Until the Masters, the jury is out on where his future does in fact lie. This is a golfer who is constantly judged on where he's finished at the major tournaments. It's only fair that his current progress is held to the same standard.

If Woods shows up to Augusta and puts in a strong four rounds, even without a win, then he is without a doubt on the road to dominance again. Should he struggle once again, he'll be right back where he started, and reaching that 19th title will look all too improbable.