Tiger Woods Doesn't Need PGA Championship Win to Consider Year Successful

Heading into the 2013 PGA Championship, the most common topic will be whether Tiger Woods can finally win a major. The truth of matter is that it really does not matter.

Yes, it is true that the superstar has not won a major since 2008. That was before injuries and personal issues seemingly derailed his career, and it was a question if he would ever be the same again.

Prior to that point, Woods was the most dominant golfer in the world. He had 14 major championships in a span of 12 years and was winning other tournaments at an incredible rate to become No. 1 in virtually every list available.

Will Brinson of CBS Sports is one of many who have posed the question on everyone's mind:

While things have changed over the past five years, the truth is that he is once again the most dominant golfer in the world. The only reason anyone would disagree is that he or she believes in a series of myths about the sport that has been circulating for years.

The biggest of all of them is that majors are the best and possibly only measure of success each player has to compare himself to others. The problem with this theory is that great golfers do not always win these tournaments.

Unlike many other sports, there is no central championship in golf to declare the best of the year. The biggest reason is that it is incredibly difficult to win any tournament, with lesser-known players usually able to pull off upsets on a weekly basis. 

Although these upsets happen less often in the loaded fields of majors, there are still plenty of players who more than exceed expectations on the big stage.

In the past few years, Webb Simpson and Lucas Glover have each won the U.S. Open. Glover has one top-10 finish in the 17 majors he has participated in since, while Simpson has zero in over a year.

Since Glover won his first title in 2009, there have been 13 other first-time winners in 17 tournaments. There are obviously some recognizable names on this list, but are all of these men automatically the best in the sport because they had a rare win? Not at all.

Additionally, these tournaments are the most famous because of their history and their reputation within the golf community, but that does not necessarily make them the only tough ones. There are plenty of events with bigger fields and higher payouts that make for more competitive tournaments.

This year, Adam Scott won $1,440,000 for finishing first at the Masters, via PGATour.com. Woods has earned more than that three different times this year after winning two World Golf Championship events as well as the Players Championship.

Basically, the major tournaments are called more important because some fans decide those are the only ones they want to follow. That is not a problem with Woods, but a problem with the fans.

Instead, the best measure of a golfer's success is consistency. While Tiger has had a few bad weeks this year, no one has been anywhere near as good over the course of the year. 

Not only is Woods ranked first in the world rankings, but he is also well ahead of anyone else on both the money list and in the FedEx Cup Standings, and he is the only person to have more than two wins this season. He has five victories in only 11 events. 

Just for good measure, he also has the lowest average score on tour at 68.608.

Simply put, he is right now the best golfer in the world, and he is proving it virtually every week.

He has even done well at the majors, finishing in the top 10 twice in three tournaments, something only a handful of players has done this year. Anyone who says he has struggled is just not paying attention.

While a win at the PGA Championship would be an excellent way to add to an already incredible year, he does not need a win to prove anything to anyone. His latest dominant showing at the Bridgestone Invitational should tell you everything you need to know: He is the best out there.

Next time people cite Woods' drought at majors as a reason that he is not "back," simply tell them that they do not understand the sport.

Follow Rob Goldberg on Twitter for the latest breaking news and analysis.