ATLANTA - Perhaps the Justice Department should open an investigation into the anti-competitive behavior of Tiger Woods and consider breaking him up into several Baby Tigers. After all, if his brilliant, history-making and untouchable performance at this year's US Open wasn't enough to raise red flags, I don't know what is.

He is so good that spectators flock to get a fleeting glimpse of the Tiger and practically ignore the other players. Competitors can't touch him in performance, attention or marketability. They simply don't stand a chance.

Watching how the other players are handling this new development is an interesting study in human nature. Some are whining, while others see this as a personal challenge.

Many competitors are complaining that when Tiger is playing, they might just as well stay home because there is no way they will win. Many are even considering not entering tournaments where Tiger is playing. Predatory behavior?

Others are complaining that Tiger is so good that he will hurt the game. After all, if fans know who is going to win before the game starts, after a while why would they bother watching.

Still others are talking about ways of Tiger-proofing courses and future tournaments. How do you Tiger-proof a course?

If Tiger is that good - which he is - doesn't that also put a chilling effect on new entrants? Why even bother trying to break-in to the golf business when Tiger has such an obvious monopoly.

If this isn't anti-competitive behavior I don't know what is. Where are the trust-busters when you need them? Tiger is so good at what he does, and gets so much attention, that competitors don't stand a chance. Many players say this can't be good for the game, or for golf's future.

So, why not consider breaking Tiger Woods up into several Baby Tigers? We could have a Driving Tiger, a Putting Tiger and a Chipping Tiger. Shouldn't that be a sure way to level the playing field? Shouldn't it encourage competition? Sure, it will be at a much lower level of play, but so what? The competitors will stop bellyaching.

Let's forget about the competitive spirit that made golf great. That made business great. That made America great. Let's forget about rising to new challenges no matter how tough they are to overcome. Let's forget about getting stronger from the process. Lets just whine and complain and maybe the government will step in.

This is a golden age of golf. An age of transitions. An age where the bar is clearly rising. Where the leaders of yesterdays aren't guaranteed to be the leaders of tomorrow. In fact they are being challenged by smart, aggressive, talented, agile upstarts who threaten their position.

This is a defining moment in the history of golf. How will the industry and the players handle the Tiger threat? Will they require that Tiger stop weight training. Or stop working so hard to constantly improve, just so the others can catch him? Will it try to bring Tiger down to everyone else's level, or will we try to bring everyone else up to Tiger's level? Which is healthier for the game of golf, long-term?

Long-term, the game will benefit if it is brought to an entirely new level of play. It might mean that until competitors get up to Tiger-speed that Tiger will rule, but only until they reach the same level of play through hard work, talent and will.

Of course, some of the incumbents leaders would rather stick with the status quo. Would you expect anything different? Fortunately a few competitors see the Tiger-factor as a personal challenge to work harder and get better, and not a threat to the game. These are the players who will thrive and make the game interesting in the process. As for the whiners - in golf like in business - their days are numbered.