Tiger Woods: How he can win his 15th major at The Masters

Tiger Woods is back in competition at the Masters Tournament. Even though he won’t let himself say it, he’s one of the favorites, despite the long layoff. Here’s how he can bring home No. 15 this week.

I never thought I’d be able to say this again. Certainly not with a straight face, and certainly not with the stakes this high.

Tiger Woods is my pick to win the Masters this year.

What sounded like a complete pipe dream just one short year ago is now on the verge of becoming reality. Through multiple surgeries to his knees and back, Woods is showing some signs of the dominant player he once was, and could be again.

Yeah, we might be getting ahead of ourselves a bit. After his Tuesday practice round with Phil Mickelson, Fred Couples and Thomas Pieters, Tiger was asked the unavoidable question. What would it mean if he were to win this week?

“I have four rounds to play, so let’s slow down,” Tiger warned, in what has become his new normal in press dealings. Honest, cautious, and significantly less cocky.

"“If you remember the build‑up was from the PGA Championship of 2000 to the Masters of 2001, nine months of building up, what that tournament would mean. And it’s the same thing. Got to go play and then let the chips fall where they may, and, hopefully, I end up on top. But I got a lot of work to do between now and then.”"

Understandably, that isn’t the voice of a 21-year-old bent on world (golf) domination. That’s the voice of a 42-year-old man, grown wise with age, but also having weathered more than a few storms along the way.

Still, there’s a certain magic that Tiger Woods carries with him to this day. Can he harness it for just these four days?

Tiger’s game is in shape, but can it hold up against this field?

We all know that Tiger Woods isn’t the same guy he used to be. He wouldn’t be anyway, even if it weren’t for the medical and personal trials he’s endured along the way. But in this sport, adapting to that change is what makes for a long-lasting career. It’s how Jack won in 1986 against long odds, and how Phil Mickelson has found his game again at 47.

The good news is, Tiger isn’t that far gone anymore. A couple years ago, he famously had what Golf Channel commentator Brandel Chamblee called the “chipping yips”. We watched as he flubbed and bladed his way through Phoenix back in 2015, and at that point, he was done. His short game was never the best on Tour, but it was enough to round out his already-dominant game.

Today, though, those woes are gone. It shouldn’t be a surprise, when you think about it. What were those first videos Tiger released after his spinal fusion surgery? Chipping and pitching. He’s had all the time in the world to work on his short game. When he wasn’t sure his body would ever swing a driver like Tiger stinking Woods again, it was the smart move to adapt and overcome.

It’s working, too. Tiger is currently ranked 6th on the PGA TOUR in strokes gained around the green. According to Justin Ray of Golf Channel (the best golf researcher out there) Tiger is the leader on TOUR in proximity around the green – again, chipping and pitching.

On top of that, he’s got the old Scotty Cameron putter working again, and he’s ranked 11th on TOUR in strokes gained putting. Think back to the Valspar for a second. Tiger finished second by a single stroke, and he couldn’t buy a birdie putt all afternoon on Sunday.

Tiger knows Augusta better than anybody in the field, and that will be the difference maker on Sunday

This is where I remind you all that I’m not just a crazy Tiger fanatic, desperately holding onto the last vestiges of his fading glory. Let’s work through some of the math together.

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Tiger is healthy, by all accounts, and he actually appears healthy. To me, that’s incredibly underrated in his return. He’s not grinding. He’s actually happy to be there, and he’s basically playing with house money. He made peace with the fact that he may never return, and just like Bubba Watson has done this year, he’s playing better for it.

He’s playing really, really well. Like he’s said, there’s no logical reason for it, but we’ve already forgotten something very important. He’s far and away the best player of the last 20-plus years, and arguably one of the top three or four of all time. He’s on that Mount Rushmore of greats, alongside Palmer, Nicklaus, Hogan.

And most importantly of all, Tiger Woods knows Augusta National like the back of his hand. In 2010, he finished tied for fourth when he hadn’t played for months, coming off the personal scandal. As a professional, he’s been outside the top-25 at the Masters once. Once. In 19 starts.

Think about all this, then remember one more thing. One thing we can’t really quantify.

The Masters Tournament is the one of those few places in golf where history is made, and it’s almost always in story book fashion. Jack Nicklaus wasn’t supposed to win in 1986, but then, “YESSIR!”. Phil Mickelson and his leap barely over a nickel in 2004. Sergio Garcia’s triumph after almost 20 years, himself, last year.

Next: Master Tournament Power Rankings

The stars are aligned. Maybe it won’t happen this year. The field is stacked as deep as it has been in recent memory. But would there be a better story in golf all year than Tiger shaking the echoes out of the magnolias and dogwoods on Sunday?

It’s not a pipe dream anymore. It’s not a guarantee, we’re not calling our shot. But when you’re settling in for Masters Sunday, and you see that red shirt strolling down the first fairway, just remember how far Tiger’s come to get here. Once he gets close, he won’t give it up easily.