On his lengthy list of career achievements, Tiger Woods called Monday's playoff victory at the U.S. Open "probably the best ever."
One minor nitpick: Why does Woods bother to include the word "probably" in his self-assessment?
Considering that he won the event while walking 91 holes on a left knee that clearly is not fully recovered from arthroscopic surgery on April 15, it's no contest to me. I've seen Tiger do lots of amazing things as a professional golfer, starting with his record-setting, 12-stroke romp to victory at the 1997 Masters as a 21-year-old.
The victory in Augusta, Ga. was historic and stunning. It had ample "wow" factor because it underscored how talented Woods was in relation to his peers. But he was in full health at the time. And, with rare exception, Woods has consistently shown for the past 11 years that he's the best player on the planet when fully healthy.
But winning a title with only one good leg at the U.S. Open, where the course setup is annually the toughest of the year in professional golf? That's mind-boggling. And it's clearly Woods' greatest achievement as a professional golfer.
_ Jimmy Burch
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