FLYING TIGER

Tigers Woods’ private plane landed near Augusta National on Tuesday and the world’s most absent golfer reportedly played 18 holes on the course where the Masters will be contested next week.

Woods, 39, has not played competitive golf since early February, when he pulled out of the first round of the Farmers Insurance Open with a tight back and glutes. A year ago, he missed the Masters after back surgery.

The golf world’s pulse quickens with each return by Woods, and then disappointment sets in. In golf terms, he doesn’t get to the back nine.

A return to the Masters would be a plus for the TV audience, though the attention paid to Woods might best be focused on others who would be able to win. Even if healthy, Woods’ short game and putting have been nightmarish, and he won’t win at Augusta playing that way.

Maybe he won’t win anything again. That’s starting to look like a possibility. As the Atlanta Journal-Constitution noted: He has won 79 tournaments but none in the past 19 months. He has won 14 majors, but none in the past seven years. Since January 2014, the results of his appearances in official PGA events are: 80th, withdrew, 25th, missed cut, 69th, withdrew, missed cut, missed cut, withdrew.

The last time he completed a round, he shot at an 82 at the Phoenix Open, the worst 18-hole score of his career.

The last time he played in a tournament, he pulled out after 11 holes, in pain, and offered this explanation: “It’s just my glutes are shutting off.”

Now ranked 104^th in the world, he’s no longer the Tiger Woods we knew. He’s not even the Tiger Woods he knew.
 
 
Post By: Larry Weisman, a longtime sportswriter for USA TODAY, blogs for Twistity.com. Follow him on Twitter @MrLarryWeisman .