Posted by Teddy Panos, Sun Staff

Tiger Woods’ U.S. Open victory just became all the more remarkable with the news the world’s greatest golfer played the entire tournament with a double stress fracture in his left leg. Not just that, but Woods will also undergo surgery to repair a torn ligament in the knee he originally injured 10-months ago.

Two points I want to make here: First, let’s hope Tiger didn’t do long-term harm to his leg and career, a la Kevin McHale playing on a broken ankle throughout the end of the 1987 Celtics season, right on through the NBA Finals. I’m not a doctor (I only play one on a blog), but McHale was never the same after that, and I wonder if the same will happen to Woods.

The second point I want to make is how difficult it is to stay on top of your chosen profession for a prolonged period. (ask Roger Federer) Most people have pretty much taken it for granted that Tiger will break Jack Nicklaus’ record of winning 18 Majors. While I’ve always believed there’s a good chance of that happening, I didn’t think it was a guarantee. Strange things, such as injuries, crop up, and a bad knee or bad back to a golfer is a major hurdle to overcome.

After seeing what he did this past weekend, I would never doubt Tiger doing anything he sets his mind to. But catching Nicklaus might take a bit longer than most thought. Thanks to the bad leg, there are already two Majors (2008 British Open and PGA) we know for sure Woods won’t capture.

What do you think gang? Are we seeing the beginning of Tiger Woods' physical decline? Can he bounce back from two knee surgeries in a year and recapture his dominance? In light of the news, how remarkable is what he accomplished at the U.S. Open?