Tiger Woods revival ignites Masters buildup but glory may have to wait | Ewan Murray


The 14-times major winner’s second place at the Valspar Championship has generated excitement but talk of him conquering Augusta again may be premature

Bookmakers are apparently revelling in these fevered times for golf. By Monday afternoon, the only absent bulletin was the price for Tiger Woods to walk unassisted on Rae’s Creek when taking to the 12th green during his first round at the Masters. That may be in the post.

Woods’s surpassing of expectations has been timely. With the first major of the year, the Masters, only three weeks away, the 42-year-old finds himself listed among the second favourites to prevail. Woods can be backed at shorter odds than Sergio García, the defending champion, Justin Rose, a modern day Augusta specialist, and Bubba Watson, a double winner in the past six years.

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It is also surely fair to view a year of competitive Woods golf before making strong claims of imminent glory

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