Being the Tiger Woods fan-boy that I am, seeing him back and playing great golf at The Masters is a truly welcome sight. As he walked off the 18th hole at Augusta National, having just broken the record for the most consecutive cuts made in Masters history, I was ready to believe once again that the fairytale might not be over just yet.
After re-watching all 36 holes of his record-breaking opening rounds, I saw a player who could methodically manage a tough golf course with his mind, and execute shots that still made the adoring crowds erupt in rapturous applause.
When taking the time to really pay attention to what he was doing, without the distraction of the rest of the field at The Masters, I was blown away by these three impressive aspects of his game that I feel can help him win another Major title...
Tiger Woods Still Has All The Shots
'Fore please, now driving, Tiger Woods!'
Six words that make the hairs on the back of you neck stand up as one of the greatest of all time prepared to hit his opening tee shot at the 2024 Masters – and he did not disappoint.
A 272-yard bullet left him in great shape up the 1st fairway, and with a laser-precise iron shot he left himself 8ft for birdie, which he duly converted.
That first hole was a clinic, with a perfect tee shot, approach and putt that demonstrates Tiger can still get round a tough track and do so with that trademark swagger.
Even when he found a tricky lie behind a tree with his tee shot on the 2nd, Woods meticulously planned his escape and executed a magic little left-handed chip shot out to the fairway.
Around the green that creative spark still shines bright in Tiger, with a perilous pitch from off the green at 11 (round one) scooting up towards the hole before hitting the brakes in front of the pin.
Despite my concerns coming into the event, he didn't look out of place out there, and actually looked to be handling the tricky conditions slightly better than others. A 257-yard approach shot at the par-5 15th (round two) set up an eagle chance, when many players were actively avoiding the green in two, and a great birdie putt all but confirmed his place over the weekend.
Tiger Woods Is Not Giving Up Just Yet
You only have to listen to Tiger Woods' post-round press conference to hear that making the weekend in his mind means he still has a chance to win the golf tournament.
His bounce-back-ability was phenomenal in round 2, when in blustery winds and tough conditions it would have been easy to down tools and accept fate. On three occasions in his round, Tiger followed up a bogey with an immediate birdie – demonstrating the mental resolve and experience he can rely on to keep him in a tournament when others around him are floundering.
The bogeys over the first 36 holes weren't disasters, either. He navigated the course exceptionally well and when he did drop shots, his par putts burned the edge and left a tap in for bogey.
Looking through the coverage of every shot, one thing that was missing was that implosion hole that can cost you. The one where you rack up a big number due to compounding mistakes and taking yourself out of the golf tournament. We saw that from Spieth, Hovland, Harman and even McIlroy to an extent, but Tiger remained a composed and collected presence as he plotted his way to the weekend.
The Stats Tell Us Tiger Woods Is Still Competing
When you look through the data over the first two rounds, you don't see a picture of a man who is unable to win. In fact, in many of the measures, Woods ranks better than the field average, which is insanely good for someone who has played one full competitive round of golf in 2024.
Tiger has hit 79 percent of fairways in the tournament so far, eight percent better than the field average. His length off the tee is also not really an issue, measuring five yards longer than the field average in the second round (293 vs 288 yards).
In round one, he was 14 percent better than the field for sand saves, and across both rounds he has outscored the field average for birdies, pars and bogeys. This profile is not that of a player who is in the twilight of their career, and while he may not go on to win a sixth Green Jacket this year, I can certainly see him winning another Major title.
