updated 4:47 p.m. ET April 6, 2008

No one in the last half-century of golf has ever looked more unbeatable than Tiger Woods.

He is winning about 60 percent of the tournaments he plays around the world, a staggering rate of success, each victory putting him deeper into record books alongside legends in the game.

Woods is only 32, yet he already has surpassed Arnold Palmer and caught Ben Hogan on the PGA Tour list of career victories. And with a winning streak that spanned seven months and again linked him to Byron Nelson, he raised unthinkable possibilities of a perfect season.

“It seems like every time he tees it up, he does something historic,” said Stewart Cink, who was on the losing end of one of Woods’ victories this year. “Statistically, it’s not historic because it’s been done before — by him, and a select few others.”

Expectations have never been higher for Woods going into the Masters, this time with one subtle difference.

Woods created the hype himself. And it only took three words.

“Easily within reason.”

That’s how he described the chances of winning the Grand Slam — all four majors in the same year — and Woods mentioned the probabilities of such an improbable feat even before he launched his first tee shot in 2008.

Then he won his season-opener by eight shots. And even when his winning streak ended at Doral, that did little to lessen the odds.

“At some point, it’s going to be unfair to compare Jack Nicklaus to Tiger Woods,” Paul Goydos said. “What he’s accomplished is nuts. It’s nuts. The only thing keeping Tiger Woods from being crowned the best player ever is longevity.”

Woods is the only player to hold the four professional majors at the same time, a historic stretch that began with his 15-shot victory in the 2000 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach and ended 294 days later with his two-shot victory at the Masters.

He says he is even better now.

He is older, smarter, stronger. He has such command of his swing that he can identify flaws and fix them in the middle of a tournament, sometimes in the middle of the round. And there does not appear to be anyone capable of stopping him on a consistent basis.

“He’s dominated golf like nobody has ever dominated the game,” Tom Watson said. “You’re seeing it right now, and he still has how many years left? You can’t predict what’s going to happen, but the pace he has set and continues to set, it’s unmatchable.”

Special feature Family time Tiger Woods is blessed both on and off the golf course. NBCSports.com

What does that mean heading into Augusta National for the 72nd Masters tournament?

Not as much as people think.

Go back eight years to when Woods first looked unstoppable. He had won 12 of 20 tournaments around the world, including the PGA Championship, and only twice finished out of the top 10. He was an overwhelming favorite at Augusta National.

But in a span of three holes in the first round, he took double bogey from a bunker at No. 10 and triple bogey after hitting into Rae’s Creek on the par-3 12th. Woods opened with a 75 and never caught up, finishing in a tie for fifth.

And that’s why he bristles when the public — even some of the players — give him the trophy before he even hits a shot.

“That’s why you tee it up,” Woods said. “They don’t hand it to you just because of the way you’ve been playing. You have to go out there and earn it. Just because I won last week doesn’t mean I’m going to win this week. I still have to go out there and tee it up and earn a victory. Same thing with the Masters.”

Woods has become a perennial favorite at Augusta National, having won with a record score (270) by a record margin (12 shots) in his first Masters as a pro. He now has four green jackets, and a victory this year would make him the first player to win the Masters four times in a single decade.

But he has to do more than just show up.

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