Reading some of the reports coming out of America on Monday they might just as well skip the tournament part of the Masters next month and head straight to the green-jacket ceremony.
Why bother with 72 holes when Tiger Woods is back on the prowl, ready to return to the old majors routine and claim his 15th to pull within three of Jack Nicklaus? To be fair, Tiger’s most impressive win for five years at the WGC-Cadillac Championship on Sunday — and a putting display that recalled all those final rounds when he never looked like missing — encouraged past feelings of omnipotence.
But they ignored one vital fact. Tiger won’t win the Masters playing like he did at Doral. Or rather, he won’t win driving the ball like he did at Doral.
Hype: Tiger Woods seems set for Masters success according to the American pressThere is a reason why he hasn’t won at Augusta National since 2005 and that’s because the course has been lengthened to the point where every player has to take a driver on at least six occasions. Virtually every time Woods hit a driver last week — and mercifully for him he didn’t have to do it often — he finished wildly in the rough.
Drive like that at Augusta and you’re pitching out of the pines and dogwoods. As he was last year when, like this, he was the outstanding favourite.
Yes, it’s great to see him winning imperiously again. I would contend there has never been anyone like him in terms of commitment and desire over such a period of time. He will rightly start favourite because since his last win he has mustered three second-place finishes and two other top-fours.
But there’s no need for any of the other leading contenders to feel their chances have suddenly slipped to between slim and none. There’s still a fatal flaw that requires addressing before Tiger can return to the trail of the Golden Bear.
Fatal flaw: Woods' driver work was very poor and he has always found it a problemIan Poulter, Rickie Fowler and Bubba Watson all had one thing in common in Miami on Sunday — they all shot lousy final rounds. Oh, and one other thing: they all hung around for at least 40 minutes afterwards signing autographs. Poulter, indeed, never moved until he’d given a signature to everyone who stood in line. Not hard to see why they’re three of the most popular players on tour, is it?
Busy Rory to sidestep JordanAmerica's most famous sporting superhero Michael Jordan might be a cheerleader for the US team when the Ryder Cup comes around but clearly that doesn’t stop him admiring the opposition. Over the winter he played a few times with fellow Windy City aficionado Luke Donald (and lost).
Next on the list for Jordan, who plays off a handicap in the mid-single figures? Rory McIlroy, who has been invited to play in the member/guest event at Jordan’s home club in south Florida next week. Rors, however, isn’t sure if he can make it. You’d have to have a pretty good reason to turn down His Airness, of course, and what might Rory’s be? One sporting star he might just rate even higher than Jordan — girlfriend Caroline Wozniacki — is in town.
Better things to do: Rory McIlroy might miss Michael Jordan to see Caroline Wozniacki (left)Less than a month before he defends the green jacket and Bubba Watson is moving into a new house. Not just any house either. One that has been gutted and rebuilt after the previous occupant gave it a bad name.
And who might that be? At exclusive Isleworth in Orlando, Florida, they’re not allowed to talk about present or past owners. But if I tell you Bubba’s new home has a rather famous fire hydrant outside, that should be enough of a clue.
Quote of the week‘I can’t tell you how upset I am with the Hall of Fame. You should have at least two majors to make it in there. At least! They are letting in guys now so that it has become a joke.’
American great and four-time major champion Raymond Floyd lets off steam. And who might he consider unworthy, we wonder? Surely not Colin Montgomerie, who will be inducted in May?
Chatter: Raymond Floyd is unhappy with some of the people being inducted in to the Hall of FameTiger Woods, Steve Stricker, Graeme McDowell, Adam Scott, Sergio Garcia, Phil Mickelson, Keegan Bradley, Rory McIlroy, Justin Rose, Peter Hanson and the recent Honda Classic winner, Michael Thompson.
After producing the most stunning top 11 in recent times at the WGC-Cadillac Championship last week, the first thing they’re doing with the Blue Monster course is ripping it up. By this time next year the preposterous owner Donald Trump promises it will be rebuilt and reshaped to make it a much tougher proposition.
Let’s hope by tougher he doesn’t mean so tough the world’s best can’t show off their skills. There’s a widely held misconception that the harder the course, the more chance of identifying the best player. As we saw last week at the Doral birdie-fest, usually the exact opposite applies.
More... Five years on and back to his awesome best, Tiger will now look to Nicklaus' record Desperate McIlroy turns to Woods for advice after confidence takes a hit
