Jerry Sullivan, in his Sunday column advancing the U. S. Open, labeled Tiger Woods the greatest competitor in sports history. “I hesitate to use the word ‘athlete’ because there are pockets of bias out there against golfers as athletes,” Sully wrote. “It’s an argument for another time.”

The time has come.

Anyone who believes professional or high-caliber amateur golfers don’t qualify as athletes ought to spend a tournament in their spikes. Arise early and get to the practice area to see if the swing you went to bed with resembles the one now in your possession. Spend about an hour working on the shots in need of refinement, or shots unique to the layout you’re about to play. Then head off to the putting green to get the feel and complete the mental preparation for the arduous four to five hours that await.

Now it’s off to the course for a walk typically in excess of 4 miles and typically something far less than countertop-flat. Some days the high temperatures meld with debilitating humidity, as was the case during the 1964 U. S. Open, when Ken Venturi dismissed the advice of his physician and played while suffering from heat exhaustion. Some days fierce winds and sideways rains sweep in. But no matter how the elements conspire, it’s necessary to maintain keen focus because one shot that goes astray can become a week-long ball and chain.

That’s just one day. Make the trek at least once more, twice more again if you make the cut. And if you’re an amateur, or a pro on the mini-tours, odds are you’re doing it while carrying your bag, and sometimes while playing 36 holes a day. Like that doesn’t require a high level of athletic endurance?

Golf Digest a couple of years back published a piece that examined whether golfers qualified as athletes. Speedskater Dan Jansen demurred, saying anything you can do with a cigarette in your mouth can’t be considered a true sport (and Jansen’s married to an LPGA teaching professional).

Well, I don’t know of any professional golfers who strike a shot with a cigarette hanging from their lips (except maybe John Daly in a skins game). However, I’ve seen plenty of ballplayers sneak a few puffs in the dugout, and pre-1980s NHL locker rooms were often one big smoke-out between periods. So while Jansen’s objection is duly noted, it lacks defining clout.

Former tennis great Boris Becker, then a 7-handicap, had a different take.

“Golf is a different kind of sport than tennis if you’re talking about athleticism,” Becker said. “I will say that walking four days in a row is exhausting; I just did it at Michael Jordan’s tournament, and you’re definitely exhausted after doing that.

“Not all golfers are athletes, but there are a lot more today than there used to be,” Becker added. “It’s why Tiger is so much better than everyone: He’s the best athlete.”

Doubtless Woods has done wonders to redefine the golfer’s image. His broad shoulders, sleek waist and bulging biceps are testament to the full dedication he’s brought to the sport. That example has led others to conclude that if the best player in the world is in exemplary physical condition it’s best they follow his lead if they’re going to have a fighting chance. The same mentality has taken hold on the LPGA Tour as well, Annika Sorenstam having set the new standard before her retirement.

“People don’t understand what it takes to be an elite athlete in any sport,” Brett Hull said. “To me the mental preparation and toughness in golf blows away what it takes in any sport. Just because golfers don’t wear running shoes and don’t run down the fairway doesn’t mean they aren’t athletes.”

Case closed.