Top 10 influential members of Tiger's victory circle

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The greatest influence on Tiger Woods was his father Earl, who saw early on that his son was destined for greatness.

Tiger Woods is among a distinct group of elite athletes who has not only lived up to the hype, but in many ways has exceeded it. What makes Tiger's accomplishments different from those of a Michael Jordan, Nolan Ryan, Wayne Gretzky, or Joe Montana, is the fact that he doesn't play a team sport.

Golf, for better or worse, is as individual an athletic endeavor as you can find. When a player has a bad day on the course, he can only blame himself. After all, he's the one who hit the shots and added up the score.

That said, Tiger likely would be the first player to admit there's no way he could have accomplished so much without the input of a team of people behind the scenes over the years.

With that in mind, here's a look (past and present) at Tiger's inner circle -- his "Victory Circle," if you will -- along with what they have contributed to the team.

1. EARL WOODS
Few people make an impression on a young boy as much as his dad does. This is certainly the case with Tiger, who credits his late father with the early development of his world-class swing, that unerring focus, his determination and that killer instinct. Earl's biggest contribution, though, may have been the constant reinforcement that there was/is nothing his son can't accomplish provided he puts in the work. As we've seen, Tiger isn't afraid to put in the effort. His work ethic alone is what separates him from the rest.

2. TIDA WOODS
Tiger has often joked that his mom was the disciplinarian when he was growing up. But Earl's confidence in his son couldn't have entirely been passed down to Tiger without Tida's design to keep him level-headed and on task. Someone once said that a mother's love is instinctual, unconditional and forever. You need look no further than the nearest fairway at most tournaments Tiger plays to see that famous oversized visor of Tida's as she cheers her boy on.

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3. ELIN WOODS and THE KIDS
Aside from being prettier than a tap-in to win a major championship, wife Elin, daughter Sam Alexis and now son Charlie Axel, have grounded Tiger and given him something to love more than he loves winning. Of course, that hasn't stopped him from hoisting trophies. Instead, it's made the winning all the more enjoyable, because Tiger now has a beautiful family to share it with.

4. STEVE WILLIAMS
Talk about a match made in heaven. Williams spent several years on the bag of major champ Raymond Floyd, among others. After Tiger let Mike (Fluff) Cowan loose in 1999, then-swing coach Butch Harmon, in search of Tiger's new looper, approached Williams after asking Floyd's permission. Tiger interviewed Williams, and the New Zealander was hired on the spot. Since then? How about 13 major titles -- and counting -- for Tiger. Williams brings a passion for his job the way Tiger brings a passion to his game. What makes the relationship so successful is the fact that Williams isn't afraid to question his boss's on-course decisions. It's not just a caddie-pro relationship like so many on TOUR. Tiger and Stevie have become close friends off the course.

5. HANK HANEY
Haney was an accomplished golf teacher long before Tiger hit the scene, but he never got the attention he gets these days now because of his star pupil. Haney is the longtime coach of Tiger's buddy, Mark O'Meara, which is how the relationship with Tiger eventually came to fruition. Haney, like Woods' first high-profile teacher Butch Harmon, reconstructed what we all thought to be a perfect swing and made it better.

6. BUTCH HARMON
He was the first coach Tiger had on TOUR. It's hard to imagine that you can tweak perfection, but that's precisely what Harmon was able to do with Tiger. We looked at Tiger in the early going and rhetorically wondered, "How can he get better?" Harmon, who comes from a renowned family of golf professionals, looked at Tiger and said, "This is what we need to fix." Their practice sessions were legendary.

7. MARK O'MEARA and JOHN COOK
These two veterans were among the first to befriend Tiger when he became a member of the TOUR. The knowledge and years of experience passed down from O'Meara and Cook -- Mark O and Cookie, as Tiger calls them -- were influential in his early years. And O'Meara, in particular, probably owes a huge thanks to Tiger for his two 1998 major victories at the Masters and British Open. After endless practice rounds with the kid, there's no doubt O'Meara was inspired and rejuvenated, as he put an exclamation point on an outstanding PGA TOUR career.

8. LEE ELDER and CHARLIE SIFFORD
This pair broke the color barrier on TOUR and paved the way for Tiger. It's something Tiger has always appreciated and has never forgotten. Elder was in the gallery when Woods won his first Masters by a record 12 shots in 1997. Sifford has become an adopted grandfather for Woods.

9. MICHAEL JORDAN and CHARLES BARKLEY
Talk about star-studded friends. Prior to Tiger, there was probably no bigger, more recognizable sports figure than Jordan. MJ, along with Sir Charles, was able to teach Tiger the finer points of handling the responsibilities that come along with "star status." Surely it can never hurt to have MJ and Chuck on speed dial.

10. MIKE "FLUFF" COWAN
After two decades of walking the fairways with Peter Jacobsen, Cowan -- arguably the world's most famous "Dead Head" -- picked up the bag of the prodigy. Caddies never get enough credit for the accomplishments of their player. After all, they're not simply carrying luggage around. On the course, they act as a coach, psychologist and punching bag. Fluff brought local knowledge and years of experience on TOUR to the table which gave Tiger the luxury of just going out and playing.