Yes, Tiger CAN win The Masters, but he won't...
In short, Tiger Woods has the capability to win the Masters, but I am sure he won't get the job done this year. Here's why: He's not playing at a world-class level right now. Simple enough, right?
Rarely has a Masters winner come from out of nowhere to win, unlike some winners of other majors, like the PGA Championship. You have to be on top of your game in all areas to win at August National. Accurate driving, greens in regulation and a little flat-stick magic are all required to top the leaderboard at Augusta. Let's look at where Tiger stands in these statistics, compared to the rest of the PGA Tour:
Driving Accuracy: 47.6%, 191st on Tour
Greens in Regulation: 67.6%, 57th
Putts per Round: 29.2, 86th
These stats listed just verify what everyone who has watched Tiger this year knows: He's not very good right now. You can't scramble your way to a green jacket and if Tiger can't find the fairway, he doesn't stand a chance. Combine that with his inability to consistently make the 10-15 foot putts, it doesn't bode well for Woods this weekend.
However, as we all know, Tiger has the ability to win this tournament. His talent is undeniable, but it used to be coupled wiith a dogged determination that we haven't seen in a long while.
I think the odds on favorite to win this weekend is Phil Mickelson, even though Woods, Nick Faldo and Jack Nicklaus are the only back-to-back winners ever. Here my foursome of potential winners not named Phil: Nick Watney, Matt Kuchar, Luke Donald, Martin Kaymer. Bubba Watson is another guy I like as a sleeper to bring home the jacket.
Do you think Tiger can win? If not, who do you like?
