True enough. Woods once put together the “Tiger Slam,” when he won all four majors in succession, over two seasons. In 2007, he has a chance for a “Runner-Up Slam.” With the 54-hole lead, Woods is money. Without it, amazingly, you have to say he is toast, no matter how much you are compelled to predict otherwise.    

“It’s not easy,” Woods said. “It’s not like they’re handing out the trophy on the first green.”

S’true, there is a certain damned-if-you-do, damned-if-you-don’t aspect to all of this. Woods has been criticized for not finishing second in majors more often in his career. The legend he chases, Jack Nicklaus often gets credit for those 19 times he was a runner-up in majors.

Well, Tiger is working on that. He’s now finished second four times. Things are looking up. But considering this is Tiger Woods with all those aforementioned assets, it is hard to ignore a stat that is 10 years in the making — 0-for 29 without the 54-hole lead.

Maybe Woods needs to rethink his approach on Sunday. For the most part, when he has won majors as a front-runner, he has basically adopted a conservative final-round method. He doesn’t take chances, limits mistakes, lets everyone else collapse around him. When you possess the intimidating karma Woods has, it’s a sound strategy. Many a champion has used the same.

But perhaps, dare we say, he could use a tiny dose of Phil Mickelson. Perhaps a more aggressive stance is needed when Woods is trailing on Sunday. Sure, by making pars he gave himself a chance at Oakmont, but he never took a chance.

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The game’s most talented shot maker simply never made a move on Sunday at the U.S. Open. His birdie at No. 4 was his last circle of the day. “That’s one of the things I need to go back and analyze,” he said.

Still, Woods suggests the line between come-from-behind winner and second place is not so easily discerned. “It turned out basically how I thought it would have,” Woods said. “I just didn’t make enough birdies.”

And because of it, that chink in his armor just keeps getting bigger and bigger.

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