The Masters: Tiger's Jungle

Augusta, Georgia, home of golf's most prestigious event, The Masters. 

For many players it's the Super Bowl of golf.  The event they circle on their calenders and look forward to all year as if it were Christmas morning.  Augusta National truly is golf's sanctuary, evident by a comment posted on Luke Donald's twitter page after his first round, "Bit up and down today, hated the slow start but loved the run on 14,15 and 16.  Looking forward to another perfect day in paradise [tomorrow]."

After two days in paradise, Donald has gotten himself back on track shooting a 4-under 68 to get him within 6 strokes of the up and coming star, 21 year-old, Rory McIlroy, who sits at 10-under.  McIlroy is the second youngest player to lead the Masters after two rounds. (21 years 339 days)  The youngest ever?  Tiger Woods of course, who was 21 years-old and 100 days, back in 1997.  Tiger would go on to win the Masters and his first of four green jackets, by an incredible 12 stroke margin.

Will McIlroy follow in Tiger's paw prints and claim his first Major this Sunday?  I doubt it. Tiger has found his roar and looks poised to finally silence the critics and reclaim the number 1 world golf ranking.

Leading up to the 2011 Masters Championship, the "experts" have been spitting out ignorant statements such as: "Tiger is not ready to contend.", "His swing just isn't there." etc.  They claim Tiger has been struggling on tour.  Sure, he hasn't won a tournament yet, but he hadn't played in a major yet either.  Tiger's goal, as it has always been, is to win majors and beat Jack Nicklaus' record of 18 career majors.  Tiger doesn't care about winning the Houston Shell Open or the Buick Invitational, now the Farmers Insurance Open.  He cares about the big boys.  While most people watched Tiger in the first handful of tournaments this season, they saw him losing.  I saw him practising - getting his swing together so that he could compete where it matters most, at Augusta.

All that practising has paid off, as Tiger has been dialed in and on target all week.  After two rounds, Tiger sits at 7-under, just 3 strokes off the lead.  There are two men between Tiger and first place.  The combined PGA Tour victories of those men, is 2 with no majors.  Tiger Woods on the other hand, has 71 PGA Tour victories, including 14 majors.

Going in to the most pressure filled weekend in golf, I'll put my money on the man that has been to the rodeo before.  I learned a long time ago, to never count Tiger out.  Sunday, April, 10th, everybody else will learn the same.  The waiting will be over and Tiger Woods will retake his thrown, as the best golfer on the planet.