Über Maerzfeld » challenge for Woods will be physical an

AUGUSTA, Ga. -- Arnold Palmer never had an easy time winning majors until the last one. This is the 50th anniversary of Palmer going wire to wire in the 1964 Masters to win by six shots, giving him a record four green jackets. It was his seventh major, significant because it tied him with some of the greats in the game: Harry Vardon, Bobby Jones, Gene Sarazen and Sam Snead. Two more and he could have tied Ben Hogan. Four more majors would have put him alongside Walter Hagen. Palmer was only 34. He was the King. He was on a roll, winning roughly one of every three majors. He never won another one. "Well, of course you never think youre going to be at your last stop," Palmer said last week. "But it was great. I suppose that psychologically I had accomplished maybe more than I even realized by winning the Masters and walking up the 18th hole comfortably. That was something that was truly great for me." Tiger Woods was 32 when he won his last major. Through all these years, Woods has only been linked with Jack Nicklaus when the conversation turns to the majors. They are the only players to win the career Grand Slam three times over. The endless chatter is whether Woods will break the Nicklaus benchmark of 18 majors. Is it even remotely possible that Woods, much like Palmer, already has won his last major? Palmer went on to win 19 more times on the PGA Tour. He should have won at least one major and could have won more. Palmer famously lost a seven-shot lead on the back nine of Olympic Club in the 1966 U.S. Open, and then was beaten by Billy Casper in a playoff. He had close calls in 1964 and 1968 at the PGA Championship, the one major that kept him from a career Grand Slam. Unlike Woods, he wasnt the best in the world when he stopped winning majors. Woods captured his 14th major in the 2008 U.S. Open at Torrey Pines. That was six years ago, and so much has happened since, on and off the golf course. The knee surgery. The collapse of his marriage and change in his appeal. Another swing change under a third coach. More injuries. And he no longer seems to make clutch putts, which might be worse than an injury. Woods has won 14 times, two Jack Nicklaus awards as PGA Tour player of the year and one FedEx Cup title since his last major. He is still No. 1, not only in the world ranking but in the eyes of his peers. Speculation about his future in the majors is fueled by this being the golden anniversary of Palmers last major at Augusta National, and the fact Woods isnt here. He had surgery last week on his back to relieve a pinched nerve that has been bothering him for longer that he cares to reveal. Woods wont return until this summer. No telling how many more majors he will miss before he is healthy enough to compete at a high level. His age suggests he is in his prime, but add five surgeries to those 38 years and he seems older. Its foolish to suggest Woods wont win another major. If nothing else he can win one just as easily as Justin Rose did at the U.S. Open or Jason Dufner did at the PGA Championship -- not because of who they are or what they were ranked, but simply because they are very good players and it happened to be their week. Phil Mickelson won a British Open last year when he was 42. Yes, Woods can win another major and probably will. But there was a time when "probably" wasnt part of the equation. "I probably would have put every last dollar I had on the gamble that he would break Jacks record pre-2009," Graeme McDowell said. "Now, slightly longer odds. Im not quite sure Id put every dollar I had on it now." McDowell has seen enough of Woods and the shots he could hit to never rule him out. But he has a good eye for the landscape. McDowell believes 30 per cent of the challenge for Woods will be physical and the other 70 per cent will be the field. The competition has never been this deep. What made it tougher on Palmer, more than anything, was the arrival of Nicklaus. There is no one like Nicklaus -- other than Woods, of course -- in todays game. Rory McIlroy is the best player in golf when he puts his game all the way back together. But that would be comparing a 24-year-old McIlroy with a 38-year-old Woods who will be coming off the disabled list this summer for the second time in three years. Callaway, which sponsors Palmer, had made up special golf bags for its players this week with a crown on the side as a tribute to the King and the 50th anniversary of his last Masters. Is it possible that Nike will be doing the same for Woods at the 2058 U.S. Open? Jonathan Ogden Jersey . His big 2-minute outburst in the fourth quarter Tuesday night is all that really mattered for the Dallas Mavericks. Joe Flacco Jersey . -- Tony Finau won the Stonebrae Classic on Sunday for his first Web. http://www.officialbaltimoreravenspro.com/Lamar-jackson-ravens-jersey/ . On July 27 cyclings best-known race will host "La Course by Le Tour de France" -- a one-day womens competition staged hours before Tour riders race on the same circuit to finish the three-week event on Paris Champs-Elysees. Custom Baltimore Ravens Jerseys . According to the CFL Scouting Bureaus January rankings, four of the top five Canadian prospects line-up on the offensive side of the trenches, which is good news for Bombers general manager Kyle Walters. With only one selection in the first two rounds — Walters sent his second-round pick to Saskatchewan in the days ahead of the 2013 trade deadline — the No. Ray Lewis Jersey . Still, Encarnacion felt a sense of relief. He felt a pop just before crumpling to the ground after running out a groundball in the first inning of Saturdays game. It could have been worse. “Its going to take maybe two weeks,” said Encarnacion. “It depends how Im going to be and how Im going to be day after day, feeling better or not.Cincinnati, OH (SportsNetwork.com) - Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver A.J. Green did not participate in practice Wednesday due to bruised biceps, but hes hoping to play in Sundays big game in Pittsburgh. The primetime contest at Heinz Field will determine the AFC North champion, although both the Bengals and Steelers are already assured of playoff spots. I think A.J. Greens arm is coming along fine, Bengals coach Marvin LLewis said.dddddddddddd Lewis added that Green has a shot at playing Sunday night. Green had a career-best 224 receiving yards on 11 catches and a touchdown in Cincinnatis 42-21 loss to the Steelers on Dec. 7. Lewis also revealed quarterback Andy Dalton didnt practice Wednesday due to the flu. Tight end Jermaine Gresham, safety Reggie Nelson, and cornerback Terence Newman also didnt practice due to illness. 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