Woods has been masterful

DORAL, Fla. -- So maybe Tiger Woods has caught a couple of breaks during this mythic streak of play.

Vijay Singh’s third-round 73 last week at Bay Hill. J.B. Holmes not closing him out at the World Match Play Championship. Ernie Els finding water in Dubai.

But mostly through sheer dominance, Woods’ eight-for-nine winning record is approaching legendary status. (He’s nine for 10 if you include the unofficial Target World Challenge). Woods will look for his sixth consecutive PGA Tour win -- and his 65th career Tour win, which would break Ben Hogan’s record for third all time -- starting today at the CA Championship in Doral.

“The fields are getting better and he’s still doing this,” said Sean O’Hair, who played with Woods in the final round at Bay Hill. “We’re witnessing something pretty phenomenal right now.”

Woods made a 24-foot putt Sunday to defeat Bart Bryant by one stroke in the Arnold Palmer Invitational. The last time he lost was in early September to Phil Mickelson in the Deutsche Bank Championship.

History says Woods probably will enter the Masters next month riding six straight wins. Woods, who says sweeping all four majors is “easily within reason,” won last year at Doral for the fifth time in his last six tries.

Woods has had PGA Tour winning streaks of seven in 2006-07 and six in 1999-2000, but he said recently he’s swinging better than ever. Byron Nelson holds the record streak with 11 wins in 1945.

Through three Tour events in 2008, Woods has produced the best scoring average (66.35) of his career by more than a stroke. Woods has accomplished this despite ranking 154th in driving accuracy (57.14%), validating the worth of his shotmaking skills and short game. Woods is first in greens in regulation (75%) and putting average (1.685).

Bryant said not everyone truly appreciates Woods’ record pace.

“I think true golf fans who understand the game understand the magnitude,” Bryant said. “I think the golf public in general doesn’t get it, to be honest. Because what he’s doing right now, I mean, you can’t even hardly fathom it. You can’t explain it.”

For Woods, preparation and precision seem to trump momentum entering a key stretch of the season that includes the Masters in April.

“It’s nice having positive feelings going into an event, but it starts anew,” Woods said. “One of the greatest things about our game is if you’re playing poorly, the week is over, you get to go down the road and tee it up again and give yourself another opportunity to win.”

Woods said he couldn’t have dreamed when he started his career he would one day tie Hogan’s 64 Tour wins. Certainly not this quickly, he said.

When asked what could stop him at this point, Woods said “the rest of the field.” Yet players like Zach Johnson said Woods can win when he plays average.

“[Winning is] why you work all those tireless hours,” Woods said. “It’s why you get up at 0-dong-30 and log your miles, bust your tail in the gym -- the reason is to be in that position right there, to fail or succeed, but to be in that position time and time again.

“Trust me, that’s the rush, to be in that position.”

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Numbers game

Tiger Woods’ play of late doesn’t mean he’s dominating every statistical category. Yet he finds a way to win every time. Here’s where Woods ranks in several PGA Tour categories:

Driving distance: 282.5 yards, tied for 72nd

Driving accuracy: 57.14%, 154th

Sand-save percentage: 50%, tied for 93rd

Greens in regulation: 75%, 1st

Putting average: 1.685, 1st

Scoring average: 66.35, 1st