Photo: © Donald Miralle/Getty Images Tiger Woods on his way to winning the Buick Invitational on Sunday.

But Woods isn't totally ignorant of the history of what he has done. It's a special moment, even if it ends at seven, and he allowed himself a minute or two to soak it all in.

"You're in elite company," Woods said. "There's only one person that's ahead of you. You know, he's one of the greatest legends in the history of the game. To be in company like that with Mr. Nelson and Mr. Hogan up there as well, it's pretty special to be in that kind of company."

I started to write that Tiger Woods' win streak of seven straight is as awesome as anything done since Nelson's run. But Ol' Inner Self gently reminded me that we are talking Tiger here. Is seven straight more difficult than 142 consecutive cuts made? Well, possibly, possibly not. OK, is it more noteworthy than winning four majors in succession, as he did in 2000-2001? Now, that's really a bit of a reach. But to say that this is the most amazing feat since - well, since 2001 hardly does the win streak justice, either.

Charles Howell III is convinced. He spent Sunday afternoon watching Tiger put the field in his rear-view mirror. Howell, who tried valiantly but futilely to catch this wisp of smoke, made a striking confession afterwards:

"You know, you're teeing me up on this one. I'll give you an honest answer. Boy, I'm going to get it," he said, realizing before he spoke that he was about to get himself in deep, deep water.

Photo: © Donald Miralle/Getty Images Tiger Woods and Charles Howell III played together on Sunday.

Then he took a deep breath and just said it - "Yeah, I think this is more difficult what he (Nelson) did, yes, I do. I've probably offended a lot of people by saying that. But I think that the competition that he's playing against, I think this - I think his is more difficult, yes."

Howell, of course, wasn't trying to cheapen Byron's record in any way. And he realizes he really doesn't know Nelson's era, doesn't know the competition, doesn't know the implements with which Nelson was playing, doesn't know the condition of the golf courses. He doesn't know all these things. But in his heart of hearts, he believes he has seen Woods climb to the top of the history books, regardless of whether the statistics will support that supposition or not.

It seems almost impossible that, only last June, Woods missed the cut in the U.S. Open - the only cut he has missed in a major. He was deep in grief then over the death of his father and hadn't played since the Masters in April. Tiger then played the next month at the Cialis Western and opened with a 72, leaving him in the middle of the pack. But his final three rounds of 66-68-67 gained him a tie for second. And the next tournament - the British Open - he won. And he hasn't lost a PGA Tour tournament since then.

But the fact that he has won so often has made it easier, he believes. "It's like what Jack (Nicklaus) has always said - winning breeds winning. And the more you win, the more you understand how to do it, and you do it different ways.

"I've done it with great ball-striking, I've done it with lousy ball-striking, I've done it with great putting and so-so putting - and sometimes I've done it with my short game. If you're able to do it different ways, it just breeds more and more confidence when you're put in that situation again."

Photo: © Reuters/WireImage Tiger Woods almost made a second eagle on Sunday on the 13th hole.

And when he's in 'that situation,' he becomes nigh impossible to beat, said Howell.

"His overall demeanor doesn't change. He never let's one bad shot affect the next one, and you know, it's one thing (for him) to slam a club or to kick a golf bag or whatever to get some frustration out, as long as it doesn't affect the next one - and you never see it carry over with him.

"Besides that, he's got one hell of a short game. You know, if you just look at it, you've got the ball up-and-down on 11, which you know, that was really difficult. He gets the ball up-and-down on 14, gets the ball up-and-down on 15, and there on 18. Those are pretty good combinations."

And yet, as much as winning means to him, Tiger can still relax a little, even on the back nine on Sundays when the competition is the most intense.

"I hit the shot into 15," said Howell, "and walking up there, he turned around, said, 'Hey, great shot.' Hit a shot into 16 - 'great shot' there. You know, up into 18, 'great 3-wood in there.'

"Now obviously, when it's his turn to play, he's obviously in the shot there. And believe you me, he wanted to beat me as bad as I wanted to beat him. But no, it was - like I said, he was actually very easy to play with."

And so it went - this was just another Sunday in the furnace for Tiger Woods. And just another day when the situation worked out well - read that 'won' - for Tiger. Obviously, it's bound to play out time after time after time in the future.

For now, though, the golf world is stunned over yet another Tiger superlative - winning for the seventh consecutive time. But this may just be a blip on his radar - who knows what we shall see from this young man in the next 20 years? This is a special, special era and this is a special, special human being.

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