Tigermania is back in vogue as four-time champ returns to form

AUGUSTA, Georgia－Tiger Woods has produced a mountain of magic at the Masters over the years, and the 14-time major champion aims to extend that when he continues his comeback at Augusta National Golf Club next week.

After long battles with back issues and many false starts, the 42-year-old Woods returns to stately Augusta for the first time since 2015.

Despite playing just a handful of tournaments, he arrives at the year's first major as one of the hot favorites to claim the coveted green jacket.

"This is a little bit like a Lazarus resurrection here with respect to where he was," Steve Mona, World Golf Foundation CEO, said on Sunday.

"Only last September he was talking about whether he would be able to come back at all. Now he is the favorite at the Masters, and it's just astonishing.

"He is certainly in form. I don't think anyone would be terribly surprised if he is in the hunt.

"I would not count him out just based on what we have seen from him the past three events. It is not outside the realm of possibility that he will do it, and what a tremendous story that would be."

A year ago Woods appeared to be closer to a sad end rather than a new beginning to his storied career.

He had not won a major since the 2008 US Open and was missing the Masters for a second consecutive year.

The back that had caused him so much pain was getting no better despite numerous surgeries and treatments, as the former world No 1 dropped out of the top 1,000 of the rankings.

Even the ever-positive Woods suddenly seemed resigned to a dour fate.

Yet after undergoing spinal fusion surgery last April the dark clouds hanging over Woods slowly began to lift.

Shaking off years of competitive rust, he returned with an encouraging tie for ninth at the Hero World Challenge, followed by a tie for 23rd at the Farmers Insurance Open and a missed cut at the Genesis Open.

Then suddenly Woods grabbed the spotlight as only he can, announcing his return to form with three impressive results－a 12th at the Honda Classic, a tie for second at the Valspar Championship and a tie for fifth at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

"If you would have told me at the beginning of the year that I would have had a chance to win two golf tournaments, I would have taken that in a heartbeat," Woods said after his final round at the Arnold Palmer, his final tune-up for the Masters.

"If I can play with no pain and I can feel like I can make golf swings, I'll figure it out."

Those results have generated an almost unprecedented buzz around this year's Masters as Tigermania once again washes over the golf world.

With Woods back in the hunt, television ratings have soared along with expectations. And like the fans, his fellow golfers have taken notice.

"It's obviously been a big impact," said defending Masters champion Sergio Garcia.

"We all know what kind of player he is and what kind of player he can be when he's healthy," added the Spaniard.

Woods' upbeat mood is sparked by his return to one of his favorite venues, Augusta National－a course that officials once attempted to "Tiger-proof" by tweaking the layout in order to make it more difficult for him.

While he won the last of his four green jackets 13 years ago, the course has always suited him. He has posted seven top-five finishes along with his victories.

"I'm sure he's excited to come back to Augusta and it's a place where he's done well," said Garcia.

"I would expect him to do fairly well, but I don't know how well, you know, because it's also been a while since he's been there and he will probably be a little bit nervous, too, which is normal.

"He's just got to find a way to deal with all those feelings again."

Reuters