MASTERS 2015: Relaxed Tiger talks winning

BY STEVE KEIPERT AT AUGUSTA NATIONAL GC

In another distant realm, a golfer ranked outside the world's top-100 and who has played a mere 47 holes in competition so far this year would never garner the attention Tiger Woods has leading up to this Masters.

Through hard work - "I worked my ass off," he said today – the four-time Masters champion has hauled his game from its nadir and brings it to Augusta National in a state that he feels is not just adequate for public display but strong enough to contend and (gasp!) even win.

Tiger Woods hugs Mark O'Meara on the practice range before hitting the course. PHOTO: Getty Images

Arriving at the course yesterday, Woods appeared extraordinarily relaxed. He hugged – as in really hugged – long-time friend Mark O'Meara on the practice fairway, bopped away to hip-hop tunes streaming through his ears as he practised and generally looked like a golfer without a care in the world. More importantly, his game looked sharper than it has in ages, particularly his short game, which was in an embarrassing, amateurish state only two months ago. It became so bad, the 14-time major winner decided on an infinite break from competitive play to remedy his ailing game, which has seen is world ranking plummet to a lowly 111th.

"People would never understand how much work I put into it to come back and do this again," said Woods, who initially targeted last month's Arnold Palmer Invitational for a comeback but ultimately opted to wait for this week instead. "It was sun-up to sun-down and whenever I had free time. If the kids were asleep, I'd still be doing it, and then when they were in school, I'd still be doing it. So it was a lot of work."

Woods last completed 72 holes in a fully sanctioned event at the Open Championship last July. In the nine months since he has two missed cuts and two withdrawals. Not only did his ageing body have to recuperate but his stagnant game had to do likewise for the majors season.

"The whole idea is to prepare and ... I feel like my game is finally ready to go and do that again. I got caught right between two release patterns and I had to get rid of that and make sure I had one release pattern in me. It took a while. It took a lot of hard work that went into it. I finally got to the point where I feel I can do it now."

Woods has looked sharp in practice during the past two days. PHOTO: Getty Images

Woods, who will turn 40 in December, acknowledged his challengers are now younger and more competitively ferocious than ever.

"I won the Masters when Jordan [Spieth] was still in diapers," he joked. "The difference is that guys are now younger, a whole other generation of kids is coming out.

"And the game has gotten bigger. When I first came out here, I think I averaged 296 [yards in driving distance] and I was second to John Daly at the time. Now, the carry number is 320. When I won my first golf tournament on Tour, I beat Davis Love in a play-off with a persimmon driver. That's now changed."

Tiger says he's motivated to work so hard on his game because he "likes winning". PHOTO: Getty Images.

Change and evolution remain a constant theme in the game and in the career of Tiger Woods. Yet his desire hasn't waned. When asked what keeps motivating him as the twilight of his career beckons, Woods brimmed with as much confidence and surety as ever.

"My greatest motivation? Winning. I like it."