It says everything about the greatness of Tiger Woods and the glorious new sporting landscape he's opened up that he's got even Jack Nicklaus believing in the impossible.
Jack was on his boat in the Bahamas on Sunday night when he was asked whether he thought Tiger could now reel in his total of 18 majors. The great man chuckled down the telephone line, looked ahead to the next couple of majors being staged on two more venues where Tiger has sprinkled his magic in the past, and told a real fisherman's tale.
'You know, he's got me shaking in my boots, guys,' said the Golden Bear.
Golfing icon Tiger Woods remarkably won his 15th major at the Masters on Sunday
It was the American's first major victory since all the way back in 2008 at the US Open
Winning another four majors to surpass Jack sounds easy enough on paper until you think that's the amount that a player as good as Ernie Els won in his entire career. On Sunday night at the Masters, Woods became the oldest winner of a major since 46-year-old Nicklaus won his 18th in 1986 - and he's got to do it another four times to get to 19? Only eight players have ever won one major aged 44 or older, let alone more than one.
Naturally, therefore, you'd laugh the idea out of court if we hadn't witnessed a Sunday at Augusta and a comeback of astounding proportions that put the sport on the front pages of every major newspaper in America. What's another four majors when you've come through the other side of what Tiger's been through over the past 11 years?
In terms of majors played and what they've achieved, Tiger and Jack are almost walking stride for stride. Woods has won 15 majors from the 75 he's now played as a pro while Nicklaus had won 16. The difference is their ages.
Nicklaus barely suffered from injury his whole career, and was just 38 in reaching the three-quarters of a century mark. Woods, as we know, has had four back operations and four knee surgeries and is now 43.
What Woods has got going for him is momentum and what's suddenly looking like an absolutely inspired decision to move the USPGA Championship from its traditional date in August to May.
Less than a month before he gets to tee it up in a major setting again, then, rather than the previous two month wait for the US Open. Not only that, but it will be staged in front of the sort of raucous New York crowd that always works in his favour and a mighty venue in Bethpage where he won the US Open in 2002 by three strokes from Phil Mickelson. Intriguingly, Nicklaus also played his 76th major in New York - and ended up winning it.
Jack Nicklaus believes the 43-year-old can eventually surpass his record of 18 major victories
Four weeks after that, and it's America's national title that's on the line at Pebble Beach, where Woods just happened to win in 2000 by a mere 15 shots in the greatest performance in the history of the game. Suddenly, you get a glimpse as to why Jack might be a touch nervous, and why a current double major winner in Brooks Koepka says: 'The way Tiger's playing, 18 is actually not that far away.'
That was the thing about Sunday: it wasn't a one-off. Everyone could see it coming, with the way Tiger contended in the final two majors of last year, when he ran Francesco Molinari close at The Open at Carnoustie and pushed Koepka to the limit following an epic duel at the USPGA. It was followed by his first victory in five years at the Tour Championship last September at another Bobby Jones course, East Lake, where he played alongside Rory McIlroy in the final
