Jim McCabe

It has reached the point where you could classify Tiger Woods as being “a limited engagement” entity on the PGA Tour. After all, he’ll appear in roughly one-third of the official events, which should not be construed as an indictment of him, but rather a testament to his utter brilliance.

Who else could play so infrequently yet win so consistently?

Only Woods, who resides on his own magnificent planet when it comes to the game of golf. It’s doubtful that you need more evidence to support that premise, but consider last year’s inaugural FedEx Cup that featured four “playoff” tournaments to culminate a season-long points list. Officials would have suggested that a player needed to do well in each and every “playoff” event, yet Woods skipped one and still won the overall title. What’s more, it turns out he could have skipped two and still won.

OK, so he’ll never be honored for perfect attendance. He’ll gladly settle for every other award known to pro golfers.

Which brings us to the one area where we do know his presence will be a given — the major championships. They are at the heart and soul of Woods’ competitive fires and even as he prepares to begin his 2008 season at the Buick Invitational, the thought that hovers is this: Can he win the Grand Slam?

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Granted, even taking into account his incomparable talents, the Grand Slam is the longest of long shots. Consider last season, for instance. It was as great a season as one could imagine — 16 starts, 7 wins — and yet involved a .250 average in the majors (1 for 4). The season before? All Woods did was win 8 of 15 starts and while 2 of 4 in the majors was special, it’s only halfway to the Grand Slam.

Yet ... with Woods and only Woods, it is worth consideration, and if you don’t think so, harken back a few years. He won the final three majors of 2000, then the first one of 2001, the only player in the history of the sport to capture four consecutive major championships. Some made a case for it being a “Grand Slam,” and even Woods suggested that since he had all four trophies sitting on his mantelpiece, then perhaps it was. But in the truest sense, a Grand Slam means the same calendar year, so in that respect Woods has yet to turn the trick.

Could he in 2008? Some are suggesting yes and they point to where the majors will be played. At Augusta National (Masters), Woods has already won four times. At Torrey Pines in San Diego (U.S. Open), Woods has triumphed four times, including each of the last two. At Royal Birkdale (British Open), he overcame a third-round 77 in a fierce third-round wind to finish third, just one shot out of a playoff. At Oakland Hills outside of Detroit (PGA Championship), Woods was 2-1 in matches that didn’t involve Phil Mickelson at the 2004 Ryder Cup.

OK, so the Oakland Hills attachment is a bit of a stretch, but the point is, even when he doesn’t have a strong tie to a golf course, you can connect the dots when it comes to Woods. He has won each of the last two PGA Championships, four in all, and since there’s a consistency to the PGA of America’s setup for that major, you would assume Woods would feel comfortable if they were to stage it on Mars.

Pundits have painted a picture that shows how many pieces could fall in place in 2008, because of the venues in question, but my guess is Woods will win two, but not all four, major championships. From my snow-covered seat here in the northeast, I see victories for Woods in the Masters and and British Open, but not at the U.S. Open or Oakland Hills.