Sergio Garcia has grown in stature as a player this past few weeks, but even he reckons chasing Tiger Woods is like pursuing shadows. Or, to use a golfing analogy, "it's like trying to make an unmakeable putt", said the Spaniard of the seemingly fruitless task which Woods - who next week equals Greg Norman's record streak of 96 successive weeks at world number one - has set for his fellow-professionals.
On Sunday, in his final outing before he defends his US Open championship at Southern Hills next week where he will seek an unprecedented fifth consecutive major, Woods did what no other player has managed: win a third Memorial tournament in a row.
It was Woods's fourth win in his past five events on the US Tour and his fifth from his last six tournaments worldwide as he also won the Deutsche Bank TPC of Europe in Germany last month.
"He's probably the most dominant athlete in the history of sports," said Paul Azinger, who had carried a one-shot lead into the final round at Muirfield Village only to finish up in tied-second place alongside Garcia all of seven strokes behind Woods, who finished with a final round 66.
"He's a remarkable player playing remarkably well and he has the one ingredient none of the rest of us have, and that's the most confidence," added Azinger.
Azinger had an advocate in Jack Nicklaus when it came to confirming the spell that Woods appears to have cast over everyone else. "Certainly since I've been playing the sport I've never found anyone who dominated more," said Nicklaus. "In other sports guys have dominated, but I don't think anyone has dominated the way he has."
His current form is a long way removed from that so-called "slump" which Woods endured when failing to win in his first five tournaments on the US Tour this season. Since then, he has been near invincible.
Woods's results so far this season are: Mercedes Championship (tied-8th); Phoenix Open (tied-5th); Pebble Beach ProAm (tied-13th); Buick Invitational (4th); Nissan Open (tied13th); Dubai Desert Classic (tied-2nd); Bay Hill Invitational (1st); The Players Championship (1st); US Masters (1st); Byron Nelson Classic (tied-3rd); Deutsche Bank TPC of Europe (1st) and Memorial tournament (1st). He has won $4,235,857 from his 10 events on the US Tour and £364,879 sterling from his two European raids.
"Not too much amazes me any more, but it is still amazing. Name anybody who isn't amazed by what he has accomplished. Week after week, he just keeps continuing to do more," said Nicklaus of Woods's dominance. And the player admitted to some amazement himself at a number of the shots he hit, particularly his approach to the par five fifth at Muirfield Village which proved to be the key shot in his march to victory.
There, faced with 249 yards over fairway and water to the green, he hit a two-iron to four feet and rolled in the eagle putt. "I was just praying that it was enough club," said Woods of the shot later. Indeed, it was his dominance of the par fives - he was 14-under-par for the long holes over four rounds - that effectively separated him from the rest of the field.
Shortly before Woods hit his two-iron to the fifth, Azinger had struck his three-wood approach into the water. He bogeyed the hole and the next - and by the time Woods tapped in a short birdie putt on the seventh, he had opened up a three-stroke lead over Azinger. "It was a momentum shift at that time. He was able to coast in," said Azinger. And, in winning, Woods became the first player to win the same tournament three years in succession since Tom Watson took three Byron Nelson Classics from 1978 to 1980.
In less than five years since winning the 1996 Las Vegas Invitational, Woods has won 28 times on the US Tour and a total of 37 times worldwide. Five of those wins, including his latest, came by seven shots or more. And his win on the course Jack Nicklaus built means he has moved within one title of the record 29 set by Nicklaus for the most wins by a player in his 20s on the tour.
"He's playing with such control, and he hits it long and his short game is the best. I'll be surprised if anyone makes a long-term hit at him . . . unless something happens to him," said Stewart Cink.
Certainly, Woods - who misses this week's St Jude Classic in Memphis - will head to Tulsa next week for the US Open as a prohibitively-priced favourite. "Week after week he's prepared," observed Nicklaus. "There's never a slack. That's pretty special when you can do that."
Incidentally, Garcia's runners-up position has bolstered his world-ranking position and he has moved up to a career-best seventh.
Meanwhile, Richard Coughlan, who has recovered fitness but whose ranking means his outings on the US Tour are now somewhat limited, is in the field for the St Jude Classic.
