Year Of The Tiger

There were no tears this time. After a tap-in for par, Tiger Woods picked up the ball from the cup, stuck it in his pocket, raised both arms in celebration, and walked off the green with a smile that never left his face.

"It was just a totally different feeling," Woods said. "It wasn’t the same as Hoylake, maybe because I was in contention to win a major after my dad passed."

A month earlier, after he won the British Open, Woods broke down in public for the first time and sobbed on his caddie’s shoulder, remembering his father Earl, who died of cancer in May.

When he lifted the shiny Wanamaker Trophy last Sunday at the Medinah Country Club in Illinois and pocketed the $1.224 million winner’s check, Woods walked into sporting history with a string of impressive numbers:

He is the first player to win the PGA Championship twice on the same course (he first won Medinah in 1999, beating Sergio Garcia).

He equalled his tournament scoring record in relation to par, shared with Bobby May, of 18-under.

He also holds the scoring record in all four major championships–19-under at the British Open, 18-under at the Masters, 12-under at the US Open, and 18-under at the PGA Chamionship.

He is the only player to win the British Open and PGA Champion-ship back-to-back twice.

And then there is the one number he has not yet achieved but is moving closer to–with this his 12th major championship, he is only six short of Jack Nicklaus’ all-time record of 18 major titles.

"It’s still a long way ahead," said Woods, who surpassed Walter Hagen’s 11 majors. "It took Jack 20 years to get his. It’s not something I can get next year; it’s going to take a career. Eighteen is a pretty big number."

Nicklaus was home in Palm Beach, Florida, watching his grandchildren play golf, but he saw enough of the final round on television to appreciate how easy Woods made it look.

"He’s that good," Nicklaus said in an email. "The guy is playing just great golf, terrific golf. From what I saw, he certainly was in total command." Nicklaus won his 18 majors over 25 years; Woods, who is only 30 years old, won his 12 in only 10 years on the PGA tour.

And it doesn’t look like there’s anyone out there who can stop him. "He’s just too good," said Shaun Micheel, who took second place at Medinah. "Unless you’re at the top of your game, you just can’t play with him."

Woods made only three bogeys in 72 holes, made 21 birdies, played the par-5 holes in a combined 8-under, and kept intact his streak of nine consecutive rounds–and 14 of his last 15 rounds–in the 60s. This was the fifth major that Woods won by at least five shots. He now has won his 12 majors by a combined 56 shots, while Nicklaus won his 18 titles by 44 shots.

Asked about his father, Woods offered a warm smile and a wisecrack about Pop’s first lesson.

"I kept saying all day, ‘Just putt to the picture.’ That’s how I first learned to putt," Woods said of Earl, his first and lifelong mentor. "He actually knew what he was talking about."

And Woods showed without a doubt that he learned the lesson well, sinking 40-foot birdie putts almost as easily as 4-foot putts.

"It was a great day out there," Woods said. ""I had one of those magical days on the greens out there. I felt like I could make anything." –With AP, New York Times News Service