Tiger can’t win even when he does

Two months ago, Rory McIlroy was ranked No. 1 in the world.

As of today, he’s missed three straight cuts.

Rickie Fowler went into last week ranked 10th and was supposed to have a great shot Sunday at the Memorial.

Playing alongside Tiger Woods in the final round, starting the day 3 shots off the lead and 1 ahead of Woods, Fowler shot — take a deep breath — 12 over.

World No. 1 Luke Donald is everyone’s hero, especially here in Northwestern country, but despite a whopping 5 career PGA Tour wins, his best finish in a major is third.

Six years ago.

Phil Mickelson quit after one round at Muirfield Village, citing fatigue after a European vacation, and not a peep was made.

When Woods withdraws because of injury, he’s excoriated.

Mickelson hit an absurd shot at the Masters that cost him the tournament, but it was just, “Phil being Phil.”

When Woods double-crosses a 3-iron, he has gone off the deep end and will never win again if he lives to see 100.

Now, Woods has won the Palmer and the Nicklaus this year against full fields, and the victories were immediately discounted. Only Woods, Jason Dufner and Hunter Mahan have 2 Tour victories in 2012. Donald, Fowler, McIlroy and Mickelson each have 1.

No, Woods won’t officially be back again until those in the media who love to hate him decide he’s back, and there’s no telling when that will be.

There are no reasonable standards set for Woods because he’s judged against his own record, which is the best in the history of the game for anyone his age.

Jack Nicklaus won his last tourney (No. 73) and final major (No. 18) at age 46. Woods has matched Jack’s victory total at age 36, and trails by 4 majors.

If his legs hold up — and that’s a big “if” — Woods can play another 10 years at a high level, giving him ample opportunity to break every meaningful golf record.

And for some that will never be enough because he allowed a scandal and swing change to interrupt the greatest sports career in history.

In reality, Woods has played a lot of good golf since the Australian Open last fall, maybe more than anyone, but he hasn’t done it with consistency, a familiar trait for human golfers.

The real problem is he hasn’t done it with the consistency of the immortal Tiger Woods, mostly because injuries have set him back several times in the midst of a swing change.

Now, after 2 victories is he back to being the Tiger Woods of 2001-2009?

Of course, not. He may never be. That standard is absurd.

But it doesn’t mean he can’t again be the best player in the world, maybe even this season.

You just wonder about where the bar is set, and if the judging is patently unfair.

On Sunday at the 16th hole, trailing in the Memorial and with an impossible shot from the deep rough and a terrible lie, Woods took a full swing with a lob wedge in an attempt to hit it 10 feet and drop it softly on the green for a roll at the hole.

A full swing could have meant putting it in the water behind the hole.

Anything less would have left it short and probably meant double bogey.

A low punch-and-run would have sent it past the hole.

Only a perfect shot, in an area of one square foot could have gotten the ball close. Woods hit the spot, got the perfect roll and made birdie.

On that one shot at least, his confidence, guts and skill were as great as ever.

“Under the circumstances, I’ve never seen a better shot,” Nicklaus said. “If it’s short, he loses the tournament. If it’s long, he loses the tournament.

“There’s a small landing area, and it takes enormous confidence to flop it with a full swing there. There has to be total belief.

“The pin placement, the downhill slope, the fast green, the rough and the point in the tournament and needing to make a shot, put it all together and I’ve never seen a better shot.”

Even the words of Nicklaus were not good enough for some, who immediately said that Nicklaus must not have the memory he once did.

That’s what Woods is up against these days. Until he wins five more majors, he will be criticized.

Still, he is possessed by the need to win, and even if he’s not back by his own legendary standards, he had total belief Sunday and his game is getting closer, all while the anointed group of up-and-coming stars is playing like muni-course duffers.

They are great one week and terrible the next three. For them, it is OK to be inconsistent.

But if Woods doesn’t win the U.S. Open in two weeks, there will be more talk of how he’s washed up.

Woods is and always will be held to a different standard.

It remains to be seen if he will raise that ridiculous bar even higher.

brozner@dailyherald.com

ŸListen to Barry Rozner from 9 a.m. to noon Sundays on the Score’s “Hit and Run” show at WSCR 670-AM, and follow him @BarryRozner on Twitter.