Dominant Woods still lacking serious rivals to his crown

Golf awoke here yesterday morning with that familiar feeling of certainty. It was as if the 2007 major season of first-time winners, of the European breakthrough, of shocks, shanks and Sergio had never happened. For nothing much has changed since last year. Tiger Woods is back on his throne and the rest are bowing at his feat.

But not all of them. Just like Woody Austin and Ernie Els refused to accept the inevitability of Woods' USPGA Championship runaway on Sunday night, so the pair were trying to whip up something at least resembling resistance to the air of resignation pervading the sport. Els did so with his usual elegance. Alas, Austin was rather clumsier. In fact, many in the game were concluding that the heat had obviously got to this colourful character who was previously famous only for snapping a putter over his head. Oh, no, Woody has lost it again.

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In short, Austin (No 34 in the world, 0 majors) does not believe Woods (No 1, 13 majors) is his golfing superior. "It just happens that he scored better," the 43-year-old told a stunned press conference after his two-shot defeat. "He took advantage; I didn't. Does that mean he played better than me or he is better than me? I don't accept that."

The embarrassed world at large quietly agreed to disagree, although Els might even have welcomed Austin's dumbfounded cheek. The South African can look back on Woods' three-year stretch, of five major wins from 12, of three seconds, one third and a fourth in this extraordinary passage, and see the glaring necessity for someone, anyone, to challenge his hegemony.

"Somebody needs to step up, because he's playing some awesome golf at the moment," said Els, before stating that his own audacious three-year plan to usurp him is on course after his own mini major run of a fourth at the Open and this third in Tulsa. "I'm still not quite where I want to be but I'm getting there. And if I get up to this next level, maybe I can at least give him a real go, a run for his money. Like I said, somebody needs to."

But if not Els, then who? Bizarrely enough, despite winning two majors in 2006, the comparatively spartan success of 2007 has only emphasised Woods' dominance and not weakened it. That is down to the identity of the three other players who line up against the 31-year-old in November's Grand Slam of Golf in Hawaii.

Zach Johnson, Angel Cabrera and Padraig Harrington are fine players, but they are not in the class of Phil Mickelson, Vijay Singh or Els and do not have the potential of Sergio Garcia or Adam Scott. Woods will hardly be experiencing sleepless nights in the next few weeks and whatever Els may be plotting, it is no longer personal crusades that should be bothersome so much as that of the collective.

If this major year highlighted anything other than Woods' excellence, it is how deep his field of rivals now runs. In the aftermath of his stuttering but typically gutsy Wanamaker Trophy defence, Woods acknowledged that fact, declaring he is a far better player now than in his tyrannical streak of 2000 but plainly does not find it as straightforward to prevail. "Everybody was not going to stagnate; they're going to try to improve and they have," he said. "Guys are shooting a lot better scores and it has become a lot harder to win tournaments. And that's the fun of it. That's the challenge."

As ever, though, with Woods there is a higher task at hand and this major, the one that as he put it "turned this into a great year", hauled him to within five of Jack Nicklaus on the all-time list that concentrates his energies. Nicklaus took 53 to win 13, Woods has done it in 44. Even he finds that staggering. "I could not have asked for a better start to my career," said Woods. "If you'd have told me that 12 years in, I would have this many wins and this many majors there's no way I would have believed you. I've exceeded my own expectations."

He is not the only one. After finishing in a tie for 12th here, Justin Rose revealed how his own objectives had been more than fulfilled. He started the major year outside the top 50, is now up to 15th and right on the tail of Luke Donald (11th) in his race to become the British No 1. "My goals in the majors before this year were to make the four cuts, with one chance to win," said the 26-year-old. "At Augusta, you can say I had that chance, being one behind with two to play. I came fifth at the US Open and virtually had top 10s at the Open and this USPGA. It is probably a bold statement, but other than Tiger, nobody has performed as consistently in the majors as I have."

Rose need not have blushed as he said it, as the stats back him up. Woods was the only other player who finished in the top 12 of all four and an analysis of the aggregates will confirm Rose's standing. Only seven players made all the cuts and so completed 16 rounds in the majors. The collated totals are: Woods, eight-under; Rose, 18-over; Paul Casey 33-over; Scott Verplank 35-over; Ian Poulter 37-over; Niclas Fasth 43-over; Lee Westwood 46-over.

Woods' domination of that list offers little encouragement, but one aspect from a European point of view is the four Englishmen in that exclusive septet, as well as the presence of a Swede. Garcia's Carnoustie torment apart, it all adds up to a rousing major year for the blue and gold brigade – an Open champion and a great deal of hope. That is probably as much as can be wished for in the Tiger era.

Who thrived and who failed to survive

THREE MAJOR HITS

* Padraig Harrington

Will be remembered as the European who ended the eight-year drought. The Dubliner is so much more than just a one Open wonder.

* Tiger Woods

One first placing, two seconds and a tie for 12th. And his doubters called it a miserable season. The ultimate major performer.

* Justin Rose

Made all four cuts, challenging at Augusta and Oakmont and establishing himself as Britain's major contender. The 26-year-old can now match his talent with belief.

THREE MAJOR MISSES

* Phil Mickelson

Wrist injury wrecked his year and handed him his first blank major season since 2003. The world No 2 lost much ground on his nemesis Woods.

* Sergio Garcia

Agonising defeat at the Open was compounded by disqualification at the USPGA. The dream unfolding at Carnoustie as quickly turned into a nightmare.

* Colin Montgomerie

Three missed cuts and a tie for 47th. The 44-year-old is suddenly looking his age. His major chances are surely gone.