Have you ever been out to the Northshore Golf Course on a nice summer weekend?

If so, you’ve definitely seen the guy stuffing Bud Light after Bud Light into his Seattle Seahawks-themed golf bag after renting a motorized cart from the clubhouse.

His XXXL orange polo shirt makes the guy look like he should be competing in the biggest pumpkin contest at the Puyallup Fair, and his brand-new Taylor Made hat is already drenched in sweat before even taking a swing — because hooking his Seahawks bag onto the back of his power cart proved to be a little too much.

There isn’t a person in the world that would label this guy an athlete. No way, no how.

But the best individual athlete to ever walk the Earth happens to be a golfer — just like the jack o’lantern out at Northshore.

Tiger Woods already had that title, according to me, before last weekend’s miraculous win at the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines. All that victory did was further separate Woods from the rest of the pack, which includes Michael Jordan, Muhammad Ali, Babe Ruth, Wayne Gretzky and Martina Navratilova, to name a few.

Tiger is the most recognizable athlete in the world as a golfer. That’s pretty amazing and tells you how dominant of a player and personality he is.

Before Tiger walked the PGA’s fairways, golf was nothing. It was a game for the elite with a very limited following on television.

The Tiger Effect on television is reminiscent of Jordan’s impact on NBA regular-season and playoff viewership. In 2007, weekend ratings were 58 percent higher in tournaments in which he played.

“The overall general excitement in the marketplace is helped by his presence,” said Sean McManus, the president of CBS News and Sports. “There’s obviously increased interest when he does well.”

And he does well more often than not. Just look at his resume. Woods has won 14 major championships, the second highest of any male player, and 65 PGA Tour events — third all time. He has more career major wins and career PGA Tour wins than any other active golfer. He is the youngest player to achieve the career Grand Slam, and the youngest and fastest to win 50 tournaments on tour.

Woods has held the No. 1 position in the world rankings for the most consecutive weeks and for the greatest total number of weeks. He has been awarded PGA Player of the Year a record nine times and the Byron Nelson Award for lowest adjusted scoring average a record eight times. He has been named Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year a record-tying four times, and is the only person to be named Sports Illustrated’s Sportsman of the Year more than once.

But the titles and awards are just the tip of the iceberg when talking about the influence Woods has on the athletic world. Tiger has no competition on the PGA Tour. Nobody can play with him.

Money?

Woods was the highest-paid professional athlete in 2007, having earned an estimated $122 million from winnings and endorsements. According to Golf Digest, Woods has made close to $800 million from 1996 to 2007, and the magazine predicts that by 2010, Woods will become the world’s first athlete to pass $1 billion in earnings and has tied Jack Nicklaus’ record of leading the PGA money list in eight different seasons

Toughness?

Tiger just completed 91 holes at the US Open with a torn ligament in his left knee, along with a double stress fracture in his tibia, suffered two weeks before heading to Torrey Pines. He revealed Wednesday that he will miss the remainder of the season.

“In light of this week’s revelation about Tiger’s health, it makes his performance in the U.S. Open that much more phenomenal,” Nicklaus said in a statement Wednesday. “I have always said that the U.S. Open is the most difficult and complete examination of a golfer, and for him to persevere with a damaged knee and stress fracture is a testament not only to his ability but his tremendously high level of competitiveness.”

Is Tiger clutch? Please.

Needing a birdie at the final hole to tie Sunday at Torrey Pines, Woods again rose to the occasion, making a dramatic 12-foot putt to force an 18-hole playoff with Rocco Mediate. The next day, Woods again needed to birdie the 18th to force sudden death with Mediate, and did so.

And there was never a doubt both putts were going in. That’s just what the best athlete to ever live does.

Sports editor Casey Olson: 925-5565, sports@fedwaymirror.com