Tiger vs rest at Masters

The green-jacketed members of Augusta National Golf Club showed just restraint by not resorting to `Tiger-proofing’ course-alteration tricks to keen the long-hitting Woods in check.

The usual bit of tinkering around the course took place, but the powers inside the stately white clubhouse heeded Tom Watson’s plea to leave the track the way it is so Woods’s feats could be compared to others in the past.

Now it is up to the 22-year-old Woods to show whether last year’s 12-stroke romp to victory was a dream run, or the beginning of an annual nightmare for other Masters hopefuls. Colin Montgomerie saw Woods work his magic upclose on Saturday last year after the Briton claimed his edge in experience would allow him to take charge against his youthful playing partner despite trailing by three shots going into the third round.

Woods fired a 65 — the day’s low round — and blasted Montgomerie, who struggled to a 74, out of contention.

Tom Kite was runner-up last year, but 12 strokes off the lead does not swell any top player’s chest with pride.

Woods flopped in the season’s other major championships, tying for 19th place at the US Open, finishing joint 24th at the British Open and tied for 29th at the PGA Championship.

But Augusta should be the cure for whatever ails Woods on the Grand Slam stage, according to Nicklaus.

The smooth-swinging Els, whose second US Open win last June made him more determined than ever to win the Masters, said he and Woods were among some 20 really good young players that could break out his week putting Briton Lee Westwood among a group that includes Justin Leonard, David Duval and PhilMickelson.

The veteran set, of course, cannot be overlooked as three time champion Nick Faldo, two-time winner Bernhard Langer, 1994 champion Jose Maria Olazabal, Mark O’Meara, Nick Price, Watson and Kite all bear watching.