By mustang6560 on 3/13/13

We're barely into the third month of the new golf season and Tiger Woods already has two PGA Tour victories (Farmers Insurance Open and WGC-Cadillac).

It's no surprise the golf media was quick to say he's back considering the fact he's won five of his last 19 starts and his stellar career resume (76 PGA Tour victories including 14 majors).

But Ron Sirak wants everyone who is jumping on the Tiger bandwagon to hang on a second. As he says in his recent article, "... saying Woods is the best right now -- which he may well be despite his No. 2 ranking -- and saying he has returned to his former greatness are two very different things".

Why do I think we should look at the run of success Woods is on with a wee bit of caution? Two things: The way he has closed out his victories and his recent performances in the major championships. His record in both areas raises some interesting questions.

So far this year, Woods has won the Farmers Insurance Open by four strokes, taking it for the seventh time, and the WGC-Cadillac Championship by two. But at Torrey Pines, he played the last five holes four over par. And at Doral, he bogeyed two of the last three holes and was about a yard away from spinning the ball off the final green and into the water.

Those were not the slam-the-door-in-your face kind of finishes we were used to seeing from Woods when he was establishing his reputation as the best closer this side of Mariano Rivera. Yes, he won and yes, he hit some sensational shots, but that brings us to point No. 2.

The bar for achievement set by Woods himself has always been the record 18 major championship victories held by Jack Nicklaus and not the mark of 82 PGA Tours wins set by Sam Snead. Right now, I'd say it's a sure thing that Tiger breaks the Snead record. But I still think the Nicklaus mark is going to be a tough get.

It's good to keep things in perspective, Ron. However, Tiger is in place he's not been in for some time now. If he wins the Arnold Palmer Invitational next week, he'll officially return to the top of golf. A place he's not been since Lee Westwood bumped him in November 2010.

Now that his swing changes feel comfortable and he's healthy and he's winning one out of every four tournaments he plays, it's hard not to say he's back. Sure, as many oobers noted Monday, he'll officially be back when he ends his five-year major less streak, but we're splitting hairs to try and quantify if he's "Tiger Woods" or "Tiger Woods Lite".


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