No record safe from Woods

Nobody's running scared, not just yet, but Tiger Woods' dominance of the professional game is a little frightening all the same. Apart from pure financial considerations, the world number one's win in the Bay Hill Invitational - his third in six tournaments this season - has enabled Woods to surpass all previous world ranking records.

"Remember how he used to grade himself?" remarked Davis Love, after failing to hang on to Tiger's coat-tails in Bay Hill on Sunday. "He's about an A-minus right now, every week. And an Aplus some weeks."

The evidence of Woods' increasing control in tournament golf is reflected in the statistical off-shoot of his latest triumph. His victory in Orlando not only enabled him to pass the $2.5 million mark in earnings after only six tournaments in 2000, but also copper-fastened his hold on the world's number one position.

With this win, he broke all sorts of world ranking records: highest ranking points total of 1,075.11 (previous record 1,024); highest ranking points average of 22.87 (previous record 22.26); largest points margin at top of ranking, now 10.28 points ahead of world number two David Duval (previous record 9.63).

Is there any stopping his march? Darren Clarke, now 15th in the world rankings, proved it is possible with his head-to-head win in the Andersen Consulting World Matchplay in La Costa.

But Woods' strike-rate is imposing and, although he plays in the Players' Championship at the TPC at Sawgrass this week, his mind is already wandering ahead to the US Masters at Augusta National in two weeks.

"I think I'm heading in the right direction for Augusta," he remarked. "Hopefully, my game is peaking towards that. Hopefully, this week (in Sawgrass) I'll have some signs that I'm actually playing a little bit better."

Since the season started, Woods' focus has been on the Masters and each tournament draws him that bit closer - and each round only sends out a stronger message that he will be the man to beat.

It was the 14th consecutive time on the US Tour, and the 17th around the world, that Woods had at least a share of the 54-holes lead and went on to win.

Just as Arnold Palmer did in his day, and just as Jack Nicklaus did in his time, Tiger Woods has an imposing presence that is picked up by his immediate opponent. Indeed, the manner in which Love (who had started the day two strokes adrift) fell away merely served to emphasise Clarke's considerable achievement in La Costa. This week's Players' Championship, meanwhile, has the strongest field in the history of the event with 49 of the world's top 50 players and 77 of the top 100 committed to playing. The prize fund has been increased to $6 million, with $1.08 million going to the winner, and Clarke - the sole Irishman in the field - is one of 12 Europeans playing.

Nick Faldo, Bernhard Langer, Paul Lawrie, Colin Montgomerie, Jose-Maria Olazabal, Jesper Parnevik, Sergio Garcia, Gabriel Hjertstedt, Jean Van de Velde, Lee Westwood and Ian Woosnam are all chasing the biggest cheque in professional golf.

If Woods manages to take the prize, it will be just another step in an already record-breaking season as far as money is concerned. Indeed, with $2.5 million in prize money already, it is almost frightening to note that Woods and David Duval - who defends his title in Sawgrass - were the only players to break that barrier in all of last season.

Woods' win in Bay Hill brought his career earnings on the US Tour to $13,898,860, which puts him at number one in that list, ahead of Love who has career earnings of $13,387,161 and Greg Norman who has amassed $12,595,322. The way things are going, however, it would seem that Woods will simply continue to break every sort of record week in, week out.