Leading sports psychologist Bob Rotella believes Tiger Woods can be a Masters contender, if he plays well in the tournament’s first two days.
Woods has won at Augusta four times but enters this year’s championship in the worst form of his life and ranked 111th in the world, the first time he has been outside of the top 100 since September 1996.
The 39-year-old has started just two events in 2015, shooting a career-worst 82 to miss the cut in the first and withdrawing from the second after 11 holes through injury.
On both of those occasions, Woods struggled with his chipping but that aspect of his game appeared to be in good shape during a Tuesday practice session on the range.
Question marks remain, however, over the player’s mental state, with world No 14 Martin Kaymer expressing concerns about the effect such speculation might have on Woods’ game.
Rotella, who has provided psychological support and coaching for 74 major winners, including Darren Clarke for his 2011 Open Championship success, believes Woods’ performances on the first two days of the tournament will be vital.
“It would be hard for anybody to get back to the level he was at five years ago,” Rotella told Sky Sports. “It’s not that he’ll never win again. The interesting thing will be if he can get in position so the interest part for him will be Thursday and Friday.
“That’s not just this week, that will be in the next couple of tournaments that he plays. He needs to turn it loose on Thursday and Friday.
“My experience with guys like him and people who play like him is that they have to get in position, then all that other stuff disappears and he’ll do whatever he has to do to get the ball in the hole.
“I think he’d be very confident if he gave himself the chance to win but getting there is the challenge, getting through Thursday and Friday is the challenge.”
Get a Sky Sports Week Pass and watch all of the Masters on NOW TV. No contract.