Remember the "I am Tiger Woods" commercials that Nike ran in the late 90's.  All kids from different races and even some adults playing golf and saying  "I am Tiger Woods" over and over.  A nice twist on the "Wanna be like Mike" commercials Nike did a decade earlier.  I only have one problem with them.

It is FALSE advertising.  Those kids are not Tiger Woods.  You people reading this are not Tiger Woods!  Phil Mickleson, Vijay Singh, David Duval, Ernie Els, Jim Furyk, and Sergio Garcia are not Tiger Woods.  I AM NOT Tiger Woods.  It does not matter how much anyone practices or plays or how much TWG (Tiger Woods Golf) gear they wear. 

Only Tiger Woods is Tiger Woods.  And Tiger Woods is goods. 

In his career he has won 12 majors trailing only Jack.  He wins 25% of the tournaments he plays in.  And he knows how to make adjustments.  He has changed caddies, swing coaches, and his swing altogether.  He has changed from Titleist gear to all Nike.  He has found true love by way of a Swedish bikini model and still had the energy to keep winning golf tournaments.

Most impressive he dealt with the stress and pain of losing his father.  Taking time off and missing the cut at the U.S. Open.  No one would have blamed Tiger if the rest of the year he took off or if he continued to play poorly.  It would have only made sense and only kept him human.  Surely after missing the cut at the U.S. Open we saw how difficult taking time of in such a precise and punishing game is on even the top athletes.  We expected him to make progress in the final two majors but not run away with them.

But Eldrick is not human.  He is part man part Tiger.  He not only wins the British Open but wins another little tourney to warm up for the next major. Then in the PGA Championship, a tournament that had as many as ten people tied for first place on Saturday, Woods runs away from everybody on Sunday and snags another Major.  Tiger Woods is on his own planet. 

At times different golfers have tried to challenge Tiger.  At first it was Ernie Els who famously took 2nd place to Tiger in 3 majors in a row.  Than David Duval went after him before dissapearing.  Young Sergio chased him in 1999 only to still be majorless 7 years later.  Phil Mickleson has gone after Tiger twice in his career and was his biggest threat heading into this years U.S. Open only to choke and be a non factor in the last two majors..  Vijay Singh made things interesting for awhile but his prime just came at too late of an age. 

We keep trying to come up with rivalries for Tiger, but not even the entire field is a worthy rival.  Tiger Woods only real rival is Tiger Woods.  He really can only beat himself.  And I am not talking about the kids in the commercial who SAY they are Tiger Woods.  I am talking about the guy who wears the red golf shirt on Sunday's and makes every other person in the world stop for a second, stare, and say the first thing that comes to mind, "He is Tiger Woods."