Reigning champion Tiger
Woods goes into this weekend's Buick Invitational tournament in Torrey Pines
ready to reach yet more landmarks.
His victory in the Pebble
Beach Pro-Am on Sunday, when he fought back from seven shots down with seven
holes to play, drew him level with Ben Hogan's six consecutive tour wins, achieved
in 1948.
And whilst Byron Nelson's
incredible 1945 record of eleven consecutive tour wins is likely to remain out
of reach, if Woods can retain his Buick title he would at least surpass Hogan's
run.
Last year Woods won the
Buick with an eagle on the final hole, to edge out fellow American Billy Ray
Brown. An if he can repeat that achievement the seven consecutive wins won't
be the only landmark he reaches.
For despite being only
24 years Woods stands only one win away from being the biggest prize money winner
in American golf history.
And one more win will take
him to joint second in the list of most tour wins, of players currently on the
tour, only four years since his first tournament. He would move above Curtis
Strange, who joined the tour in 1977.
The records don't stop
there. In the latest world rankings, Woods has increased his record points average
to 21.83, and had opened up the biggest ever margin between the himself and the
World No.2 David Duval, who is 9.41 points behind. It would be difficult to name
another sportsman so dominant in his field.
Such is the phenomenon
of Woods, that his odds for winning the Grand Slam this year - all four majors
- have been cut to 80/1. He is quoted at an amazing 5/2 for the US Masters at
the end of March.
Should Woods achieve the
unthinkable and win his next four tournaments, with the Nissan Open, Anderson
World Match Play and the Bay Hill Invitational following the Buick, he would
set up the intriguing possibility of equalling Nelson's record with a Masters
win.
But can he really pull
it off? His fellow professionals don't doubt that he has the talent, but believe
he can't go on winning forever.
Richard Boxall said: "I'd
like to see him do it, but what he's done all ready he has got to do all over
again. And with everybody talking about it the pressure on him will be unbelievable."
Andrew Murray was similarly
pessimistic about Woods' chances of achieving the record: "I think he can do
it, he has the ability. But I don't think he will. I think he'll make it to seven
this weekend, but not eight."
