Will Tiger pass Jack? Ask me in 15 years

On Sunday afternoon, I had the rarest of experiences. 

I watched more than three hours of The Masters and only when Jim Nantz went down the entire leaderboard did I hear that name. Only then was it mentioned in the Sunday afternoon dialogue. 

Tiger Woods.

Imagine that. The media has found a way, it seems, to tie in every golf story line to Woods, but not as a Woods-less drama unfolded at Augusta National Sunday, with Bubba Watson eventually outlasting Louis Oosthuizen in a two-hole playoff to claim the Green Jacket. 

Woods' performance had everything to do with it. Tiger, 36, put together his worst four-day major championship and finished a career-worst five over par at Augusta. 

So why am I even mentioning Woods? 

Oh, I'm just trying to beat the crowd. Because as great as the Bubba Watson story is, it'll fade within days, and maybe a late-night show appearance (but probably not), just as have the stories of most of the winners of each of the past 14 majors — no player has won two during that span, which dates back to the second of Padraig Harrington's back-to-back majors to close out 2008.

It's appropriate, perhaps, that those majors came right after Woods' last victory, his one-legged miracle at Torrey Pines.

So, of course, the question remains: Will Tiger catch Jack? Will he be able to win five more majors to surpass Nicklaus' 18?

Well, I'm here to tell you that this question is simply not worth addressing. Not now. And unless Woods starts winning majors and eclipses the Golden Bear, probably not for 15 years. 

Nothing that happens to Woods in the next five years could change my mind (barring death or becoming chronically unable to perform physically). Woods could tear his ACL, have another scathing book written about him by a former coach and change his swing again, and I wouldn't change my mind (not that I'm wishing any of these horrible upon him).

I wouldn't alter my stance because it's golf! Because just recently, sanguine 59-year-old Tom Watson was a hole away from winning the British Open. Because just this weekend, Freddy Couples, 52, was in contention. And neither of those guys takes closes to as good care of their bodies as Woods. 

This isn't tennis, where we know, as good as he continues to play, that Roger Federer's window is closing, that in three to four years he simply won't be able to keep up with the competition. 

This isn't basketball, where we know that even though Ray Allen hasn't eaten an ounce of saturated fat during his career, his legs won't be giving him the needed lift at age 45 to elevate above the defense and knock down those 3-pointers.

No, this is golf. 

Will Woods be able to drive the ball 330 yards at age 60? Probably not (although with technology upgrades, don't count that out, either). But players adjust. They mend their game. Focus on the areas they can control. And as any golfer will tell you, a wicked weekend around the greens combined with decent striking of the ball can win a tournament.

Even a major.

So I've said my bit. Now I'm ready to let it rest. 

Will Tigers Woods break Jack Nicklaus' record? 

Here's my surefire answer:

Not in the next four majors.