Tiger Woods enters Masters with momentum

Tiger Woods hasn’t been “tournament ready” leading into the past two Masters Tournaments, yet he’s tied for fourth both years.

After Woods’ five-shot victory March 25 in the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill – his first on the PGA Tour in 30 months – he is ready to win again at Augusta National Golf Club, not just contend.

He’ll be seeking his fifth green jacket, which would move him past Arnold Palmer on the Masters victory list, just one behind the leader, Jack Nicklaus.

“I’m excited, there’s no doubt,” Woods said after winning at Bay Hill, his last start before the Masters. “I’m going to take a lot from the momentum I’ve built here.”

Despite the problems on and off the course that Woods experienced from late 2009 through 2011, he always managed to find his game when he arrivedin Augusta.

In 2010, because of a self-imposed break in the wake of his extra-marital scandal, he had not played in a tournament for five months heading into the Masters. He still shot 11-under 277, breaking par in each round and finishing five shots behind winner Phil Mickelson.

Last year, he played four PGA Tour events before the Masters, but he wasn’t 100 percent healthy. He had only one top-10 finish and struggled with a swing change. He shot 278 to again tie for fourth, four behind Charl Schwartzel. He even had a share of the lead halfway through the round despite starting the day seven shots off the lead.

This year, he’s more confident in his swing and has the results to show.

In six worldwide starts, he has won, finished second, finished third, tied for 15th, tied for 17th and withdrawn (from Doral after feeling tightness in his left Achilles tendon). Woods eased concerns about his health by playing for eight consecutive days, starting with a practice session at Augusta National and culminating with his Bay Hill victory.

The improvement in his game really showed in early March’s Honda Classic, where Woods shot a final-round 62 to tie for second place. After starting the day nine shots behind, Woods ended up losing by two to Rory McIlroy.

“He looked like the guy I used to always finish second to,” said Ernie Els, Woods’ playing partner that day.

Three weeks after the Honda, Woods shot 69-65-71-70 to win by five shots at Bay Hill for the 72nd win of his PGA Tour career.

It could serve as a good omen. In each of his four Masters victories, Woods won at least one event leading into Augusta.

“I understand how to play Augusta National, and it’s just a matter of executing the game plan,” said Woods, who hasn’t won at Augusta National in his past six starts.

He is in the longest major championship drought of his career. Of the 14 majors since his win at the 2008 U.S. Open, Woods has played in only 10, missing the British Open and PGA Championship in 2008 and the U.S. Open and British Open in 2011 with injuries.

Before his victory in the Arnold Palmer Invitational, Woods hadn’t won a full-field event since the Australian Masters on Nov. 15, 2009. His last PGA Tour win had been in the BMW Championship on Sept. 13, 2009.

He did win the 18-man Chevron World Challenge, an unofficial event, in December 2011.

During his PGA Tour dry spell, Woods lost his marriage, his No. 1 world ranking, his swing, his caddie and his home. Woods changed his swing coach and is in his second full year of working with instructor Sean Foley.

At age 36, Woods’ No. 1 goal remains to beat Nicklaus’ record of 18 major championships. He needs five more majors to pass Nicklaus.

“It’s going to take an entire career to do it, and that’s something I knew starting out,” Woods said.

“In my opinion,” Nicklaus said recently. “I think Tiger will regain what he does. He will come back and play very, very well. Whether he’ll break my record,
that’s another issue. I still think he probably will. But he’s still got to do it.”