Woods feels primed for fifth Masters win

Tiger Woods knows he’s getting up in years when he hears people talking about “passing the torch” and “the next generation.”

Even Woods put his age in perspective Tuesday when he observed that his 18th Masters Tourna­ment start represents half of his life.

Woods knows something else, too: Of all the major championship venues, Augusta National is one where experience seems to matter the most.

It’s where Jack Nicklaus won at 46 and finished tied for sixth at 58.

It’s where Tom Watson tied for 18th two years ago at the age of 60.

It’s where 52-year-old Fred Couples finished sixth and tied for 15th the past two years.

If Woods’ victory two weeks ago at the Arnold Palmer Invi­ta­tional is any indication, it could be where he wins his first major since 2008 and his first Masters since 2005.

“Everything is headed in the right direction,” he said Tues­day.

That would be a welcome change. Woods came to Augusta Na­tion­al two years ago in his first start of the 2010 season after a winter filled with revelations about his personal life. Last year, he had switched coaches from Hank Haney to Sean Foley, and the swing changes he was undergoing were still a work in progress.

Still, Woods found a way to tie for fourth both years and shoot under par in seven of eight rounds.

What could he do this year, especially since his body is as healthy as it’s been in years and his confidence is soaring with the swing changes he and Foley have implemented?

“I’m driving the ball much better than I have,” he said. “I’ve got some heat behind it, and it’s very straight. My iron game is improving.”

Younger, stronger players also seem to be peaking, including last year’s 54-hole leader, Rory McIlroy; No. 1-ranked Luke Donald; two-time PGA Tour winner Hunter Mahan; and Justin Rose.

Woods said he’s got something they don’t yet have: experience at Augusta National.

“It’s understanding how to play this golf course, where to miss it,” he said.

The younger players, many of whom latched on to the game because of Woods, continue to have the deepest respect for his game.

“He creates excitement that no one else in the game can,” McIlroy said. “A lot of people want to see him make history, and it looks like he’s back on track to maybe going and doing that.”

“Obviously, Tiger has had troubles, but he certainly has been working hard,” Jason Day said. “You can see that competitive spirit coming back.”

Woods is coming in on two key streaks: He has shot par or lower in 17 of 19 rounds on both the PGA Tour and the European PGA Tour, and he has finished sixth or higher in his past seven Masters, with 24 of 28 rounds of par or lower.

Woods is in uncharted territory when it comes to his statistics on the PGA Tour. He is 18th in driving distance but also 18th in driving accuracy, seventh in greens in regulation, and sixth in the “strokes gained putting” index, the primary statistic on the greens.

That has translated into his leading the tour in scoring average (68.27).

The degree and length to which he is hitting fairways is the biggest outcome from the swing changes with Foley. Woods has never been higher than 49th in driving accuracy (in 1999), and his career average rank entering this season was 131st.

Combine that with his comfort level at Augusta, and the oddsmakers who have installed him as low as 3-to-1 might know something.