The Masters is fast approaching and the countdown has begun, but nothing is known yet about Tiger Woods' choice, whether he will play or not. An important clue, however, arrived yesterday, given that the champion did a test ride on the wonderful flowery course of Augusta. It's a decision that bodes well, assuming that Tiger has found the swing and above all the inner strength to get back into the competition and maybe to win.
The news comes after the long-awaited but still impressive freezing shower of recent days, with the former number one leaving the top hundred players in the world rankings. The ranking is drawn up by dividing the earnings for some matches over a given period of time. Tiger has practically not played for over a year and the few games he has played were compromised, last season, by back pain and this year by a mysterious psychological block.
If Tiger gave up the Masters it would be sensational. As Bubba Watson claims, after all he has nothing to lose by showing up at the tee that all the players in the world aspire to. Woods has already shown his worst game in San Diego, expectations of him today are low, while the desire to see him on the pitch is great.
The Masters has always been his favorite major: he won it for the first time in '97, at 21 years and 3 months, becoming the youngest player ever to wear the green jacket. Then he won it three more times: in 2001, 2002 and 2005. Two years ago it seemed that he could do it for the fifth time, but luck turned against him. A perfect ball to the green hit the rod and went into the water hazard. Tiger missed the "drop" like a rookie and two penalty strokes dashed his hopes of victory (he still finished fifth).
It's not a century ago, it's not another era. Yesterday's test ride, if not dictated by marketing needs (the Tiger Woods brand is worth a lot and must be kept alive) tells us that the champion wants to come back and do it big. Let's keep an eye on his website because the decision will come within days and it will tell us a lot about the future of golf: if Tiger still wants to be on the field or if, probably, we will have to give him up forever.
