Grand Scheme of Things

Tiger Woods didn’t just climb out of his private jet in the United Arab Emirates so he could play a golf tournament, or to collect his $3-million appearance fee or to check in on the course he’s designing there.

So why fly to Dubai?

Because that’s what Woods did last year when he won one major title, finished one shot out of a playoff in another and could have won the Masters if the ball he was putting hadn’t been so allergic to the hole.

Let’s just say he was close, and that’s a good sign for a player whose success gauge is stuck on majors. Woods thinks it all worked pretty well last year, so he’s not going to change a thing about his itinerary this year.

That’s because Woods actually believes he can win all four of golf’s major championships in the same year. Now, that is a little unusual -- not that Woods thinks it, but because nobody’s done it in 78 years, since 1930, or the year after Arnold Palmer was born.

In 1930, Bobby Jones won what were then considered the four major golf titles: the U.S. and British Opens and the U.S. and British Amateurs. Jones, then 28, retired and started the Masters in 1934.

If winning all four majors were that easy, somebody else would have done it, but now we have Woods. There have been plenty of legendary golfers who never won all four of golf’s majors in one year, a list heavy on history that includes Sam Snead, Byron Nelson, Ben Hogan, Jack Nicklaus, Palmer, Lee Trevino, Tom Watson and now Woods.

Nicklaus never won more than two majors in one year, but he did that five times. It must be pointed out that Woods did hold all four major titles at the same time, but he didn’t win them in the same calendar year. It happened when Woods won the 2000 U.S. Open, British Open and PGA Championship and then the 2001 Masters.

The feat was called the Tiger Slam, as if such an accomplishment didn’t quite equal the stature of a calendar slam. Some people actually bought that argument.

But now, with the level at which Woods is playing, there are some experts who believe Woods is going to match Jones’ record and win all four this year.

One of those experts is Woods. He said he can do it, with a little luck, a few good bounces and some heavy doses of karma being passed his transcendental way by swing coach Hank Haney.

In the last three years, it has been Haney’s job to get Woods to believe that the way to consistency -- and what’s more consistent than winning majors? -- is to revamp the swing, to snip the loose ends, to smooth the take-away and downswing so that the club head goes back and comes down more in front of Woods’ body, to take out Woods’ fear of going left.

Woods always talks about “trusting” his swing. It has to hold up under pressure, and there’s going to be plenty of that this year at Augusta National, at Torrey Pines for the U.S. Open, at Royal Birkdale for the British Open and at Oakland Hills for the PGA Championship.

Can Woods win them all? Sure he can. Wizened pro Fred Couples believes it, and so does Mark O’Meara. They’re not alone.

Let’s put it this way: Nobody else has a chance. Even Woods admits he’s playing better than ever, which is probably better than anyone ever before. Besides, Woods owns 13 majors to Nicklaus’ 18, so there’s no time like right now.

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The majors

To capture a Grand Slam this year, Tiger Woods must win the Masters at Augusta National, the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines, the British Open at Royal Birkdale and the PGA Championship at Oakland Hills in Michigan. Here is a look at how he has fared in those events:

MASTERS

April 10-13, Augusta National

Top-10 finishes (8): Won in 1997, 2001, 2002, 2005. T-Second in 2007. T-Third in 2006. Fifth in 2000. T-Eighth in 1998.

U.S. OPEN

June 12-15, Torrey Pines (South)

Top-10 finishes (5): Won in 2000, 2002. Second in 2005, T-Second 2007. T-Third in 1999.

BRITISH OPEN

July 17-20, Royal Birkdale

Top-10 finishes (6): Won in 2000, 2005, 2006. Third in 1998. T-Fourth in 2003. T-Ninth in 2004.

PGA CHAMPIONSHIP

Aug. 7-10, Oakland Hills (South)

Top-10 finishes (7): Won in 1999, 2000, 2006, 2007. Second in 2002. T-Fourth in 2005. T-10th in 1998.

Source: PGA Tour