Is Tiger ready to roar at Augusta?
DEREK LAWRENSON
NO OFFICIAL word yet on whether Tiger Woods will be playing in the Masters next week — but the sight of his name on the Augusta interview schedule for next Tuesday is surely a positive sign.
After all, when was the last time Tiger turned up just to chew the fat with a bunch of golf writers?
Woods will be at Augusta on Tuesday for the Past Champions’ Dinner whether he is playing or not. But in the past he has not included a detour to the press room when not part of the field.
Rumours have been rife for a fortnight that Woods has been back in training and practising hard in south Florida with his coach Chris Como but, as so often with Tiger, it is not easy to establish hard facts.
Woods has not played since his comeback proved shortlived when he pulled out after one round of the Dubai Desert Classic with all-too familiar back problems last month.
This is a special edition of the Masters for Woods, for it is 20 years since he burst on to the scene and won his first major as a professional by 12 strokes.
A fortnight ago he appeared on Good Morning America and when asked whether he planned to play the Masters, replied: ‘God, I hope so, yes.’
Meanwhile, at the Shell Houston Open, Rickie Fowler shot a classy first-round 64 yesterday to vividly illustrate that Dustin Johnson’s coach Butch Harmon has more than one thoroughbred in the running at Augusta.
Fowler is guaranteed to turn heads on Masters Thursday anyway, given that the colourful one is planning to wear clothes of a camouflage design reportedly inspired by the ‘shapes of Augusta’s greens’ — whatever that means.
He will be the centre of attention for other reasons if he shapes up like he did here. It is no exaggeration to say he would have threatened a 60 if a few putts that shaved the hole had dropped instead.
Given he carded a score three full strokes better than anyone else in the morning wave, he was not about to complain — particularly after the bonus that came with a birdie at his final hole, the arduous par-three ninth, where his four iron was struck so purely it almost went in.
Fowler has not had a lookin publicity-wise alongside Johnson’s stellar play but he comes here having finished first and 12th in his point whether to play the week before a major or take in a reconnaissance mission to Augusta and practise. And then there is Phil Mickelson, who is doing what he always does, which is both.
On Monday and Tuesday he played at Augusta before turning his attention to this event. As he has three green jackets to his name and any number of other close finishes, it is fair to say the routine works for him. Now 46, the gifted lefty shot 72 and then explained why he likes to play his way to Georgia.
‘I played terrible here, everything was just a little bit off, but playing helps me to get sharp so that I don’t have a day like this next Thursday,’ he said. ‘I get focused and dialled in a lot easier when I only have three days in between tournament rounds rather than 10.’
As for the home contingent, Andrew ‘Beef’ Johnston needs to win this event to join the 11 Englishmen already qualified for next week but that possibility receded to the realms of fantasy after a 73.
Chris Wood, who will be at the Masters and is in need of some competitive rounds, finished on the same mark.
Then there is Lee Westwood, who told
Sportsmail on Wednesday it had been years since he looked forward to a fortnight as much as this one. He started double bogey, bogey, double bogey, which just goes to show you can look forward to something too much. Still, better this week than next.