If and when he does catch Nicklaus, we may all look back at the incredible chip he hit on 16 at Augusta National on Sunday afternoon that put him in position to win.

You all saw it, a chip that really couldn’t be made, the ball nestled up against the first cut of rough behind the green. Woods knocked it well left, into the slope coming down from the green’s upper tier, the ball took the break, tracked down toward the hole, slowed down, came to a halt on the very edge of the cup.

It sat there, as if considering its options. Go in and give Tiger the win? Hang there and give DiMarco a shot at tying the match? Tiger or DiMarco? DiMarco or Tiger?

The ball was a frontrunner; it fell in.

It gave Woods a two-stroke lead, and he gave them both back, forcing the one-hole playoff that Tiger won with a long and unerring birdie putt.

“I kind of collapsed coming down the stretch there,” Woods admitted to CBS' Jim Nantz and Hootie Johnson, the Augusta czar, after it was over. “This was such a hard-fought week.”

Then he shrugged himself into the green jacket Phil Mickelson, last year’s winner, presented to him. It was Woods’ fourth, tying Arnold Palmer for Masters wins and drawing within two of Nicklaus’ six.

Woods will have to beat that number, too, if he is to beat all of Nicklaus’ totals. Augusta is built for Woods, who hits it long but not always straight, and demands nerve and precision on the greens. Every win at Augusta is one he doesn’t have to get on the narrow and unforgiving U.S. Open courses.

There’s no reason to think Woods won’t get three more Masters’ titles. There’s every reason to think he’ll finally catch the greatest golfer of them all.

If anything stops him, it won’t be the competition, but his own body. He’s had back problems and knee problems and before the final round Sunday he was stretching and twisting his back, as if trying to make chronic stiffness and hurt go away.

He’s been playing golf since he was three, not just once in a while, but pretty much all the time. He may be just 29, but his body has seen more golf than most 40-year-old pros. Catching Nicklaus may be as much a race with the inevitable deterioration of his bones and muscles and tendons as with the equally inevitable deterioration of his skills.

MAJOR CHAMPIONSHIP TITLES Player Masters U.S. Brit. PGA Total Jack Nicklaus 6 4 3 5 18 Tiger Woods 4 3 3 4 14 Walter Hagen 0 2 4 5 11 Ben Hogan 2 4 1 2 9 Gary Player 3 1 3 2 9

But right now, with nine in the bank and three more chances this year, Tiger’s back on track. Nicklaus didn’t win his final major until he was 46 years old. That gives Woods 17 years to win 10 more titles.

I think he’ll do it.

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