This Article is From Mar 29, 2010

Will Tiger win at Augusta National?

Will Tiger win at Augusta National?
New York: Infidelity will leave an indelible mark. An incredible fifth Masters championship will, too.

Can Tiger Woods win at Augusta National?

Of course.

Will he?

Yes.

Skeptics among us believe that the hullabaloo in his personal life, the humiliation that has proven he is morally and mentally flawed, the five-month layoff from competitive golf, the intense scrutiny he has to confront, the pressure, the anxiety, the hassle and the harassment that await, the traps, the trees, the wayward tee shots all will beat him down and another player will beat him.

But Eldrick Tont Woods the man must be separated from Tiger Woods the machine.

When there is tragedy, suffering, trouble - even disgrace - everyone goes back to work.

Eldrick Tont will become Tiger again, escaping to the Cathedral in the Pines to prepare for the April 8-11 event. He will stand on the 12th green beyond Rae's Creek, away from the maddening crowds, and, surrounded by the flowers - golden bells, dogwood and azaleas - he finally will take in a breath and let out a sigh.

He goes back to work.

Tiger Woods has participated in 13 Masters as a pro. He has won four. He has finished second twice, third once and in the top eight three other years. His worst showing as a pro was a tie for 22nd.

As a new, 21-year-old professional in 1997 he astounded everyone by shooting 18-under-par to become the first African-Thai-American of color to triumph at the renowned Georgia club. He won again in 2001, 16-under. He won twice more, in 2002 and 2005, both at 12-under.

In 52 rounds at Augusta (never missing a cut as a pro), Tiger has scored in the 60s 16 times and over par only nine times. His cumulative score since 1997 is minus-74.

Who really thinks he can't win?

Ben Hogan, rarely out on tour as the result of a near-fatal crash when a bus hit his car head-on, returned to golf after an 11-month absence with his first Masters appearance in 1951 - and prevailed.

Twice, Woods has been away from the game for months - following the death of his father and while recovering from serious knee surgery. He would soon win. Woods won the Australian Masters in mid-November before wrecking his car and his life soon after.

But Woods hasn't lost the will or the way to play.

And this is a course he has the wherewithal to play. He knows when to hit the shots and where to hit them, and he knows how to hit them, and why. You hit the ball deep on the right side of the sloping green at 16, and it trickles down and over toward the Sunday left pin placement. You never aim directly at the hole on 12 when it's back right, and you never want a downhill putt on the ninth, and you never leave approaches short and in the water on 13 or 15.

There are secrets and stuff to understand about Augusta National and the Masters. For instance, long ago, a palm tree was planted deep in the bushes off the third hole.

More important, the Masters field is the smallest and the weakest of the four majors.

Because the Masters is an invitational and has a number of qualifying categories, fewer than 100 players participate, and most have almost no chance of winning. Amateurs; the older, former champions and many of the summoned international players don't get a green jacket; the one-win wonders from minor tournaments rarely reach the top of the leaderboard on Sunday; some players don't have the right game, sufficient experience with the layout and knowledge of the difficult greens or enough distance for Augusta National, and others can't handle the pressure.

There's a valid reason Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer, who will serve as the honorary starters, have won six and four Masters, respectively. They could defeat Augusta National and not themselves.

In fact, of the Masters played since 1949, 10 professionals have won more than half.

Woods will answers the questions he wants to, and dismiss those he doesn't, in the massive media grilling next Monday. He will attend the Champions dinner in the antebellum clubhouse the next day and reconnect with the other ex-winners. The gallery will be cordial to him during the practice rounds, and the protesters will be outside the walls. The new Tiger won't curse or throw his clubs during the four rounds, and he will occasionally smile and scowl.

He may shoot a pedestrian score in the opening round, as he usually does. In 72 holes, he will make birdies (17 last year), and he will make two double bogeys and three eagles, and he'll hit around a pine and onto the green, and he will drain a delicate, twisting, 30-foot put. The Tiger roars return.

Until lately, Tiger has not ever been found in such a bad lie. With a triumph at the Masters, Tiger cannot rehabilitate his life or reputation, but he will be the master of his game once more and repair that deep divot he left in golf. 
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