Woods stands out amid trees

If there is one thing you can guarantee when the US Masters comes around each year it is that the Augusta National course will look its magnificent best. Should the temperatures soar or a cold front move in during the build-up to the tournament, coolers or heaters are used to make sure the azaleas are in full bloom. More than just a unique golf course and the only permanent venue for one of the game's majors, Augusta is an extraordinary place for many reasons, and the setting for what two-time Masters champion Ben Crenshaw described this week as a "celebration" of golf.

Tiger Woods arrived at the course on Monday looking to collect a fifth green jacket, having spent the previous week at home in Isleworth, Florida where he worked hard with his coach, Hank Haney, to make sure his game blossoms in Georgia. After his victory in the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill two weeks ago where he led the putting statistics, Tiger looks ready to tackle the most demanding greens in golf.

He has also shown signs on his return to the game that he can take his driving accuracy to the next level, and this could be a major factor after a week of torrential rain which has soaked the Augusta fairways. With the course playing long the big hitters will have an even greater advantage than usual. At Augusta it is crucial to get the ball in the right position on the greens, and the shorter distance you have for the approach shot the better chance you have of doing that.

In recent years pine trees have been added on many holes to make tees shots much more demanding while the course has been lengthened tremendously. The par four seventh, for instance, used to be a three iron, nine iron hole. But since it has been lengthened the players are forced to hit a driver into a fairway only 30 yards wide, and then go in with a seven iron to a green that was originally designed to receive wedge shots.

The 2007 Masters winner, Zach Johnston, led in driving accuracy that year while 12 months ago Trevor Immelman had the second best driving statistics. The player who dons the green jacket on Sunday will be right up there too. He will also need to master Augusta's legendary greens, which are in a league of their own, requiring great imagination. At times you have to chip or even putt away from the flag in order to catch a slope that eventually takes the ball towards the hole.

On occasions it will be impossible to get a first putt within 15ft of the hole, and this is the kind of challenge which makes the Masters so exciting, and so unique. Tiger tees off in today's first round as the favourite and while the Masters can throw up surprises, it is difficult to look beyond someone who is the most complete golfer in history. Ben Hogan was great from tee to green, as was Jack Nicklaus who often struggled, however, with his wedge and bunker play, while Seve Ballesteros had a magical short game but was often wayward off the tee.

Tiger is equally as good as Seve was around the greens and is the best all-time putter. He has the strongest mind and is the most dedicated golfer we've ever seen. There isn't a better iron player out there, and with indications that he is getting his driving under control that adds up to a virtually unbeatable package when he is firing on all cylinders. Despite his setback last week where he missed the cut badly in Houston, Phil Mickelson has shown enough this year to suggest that he could mount a big challenge at Augusta.

There are a glut of other Americans hoping to beat off the overseas challengers, of whom Geoff Ogilvy must be one of the most serious contenders after a great start to 2009. If Europe is to capture a green jacket, the best bet could be Paul Casey who underlined his credentials with victory in the Houston Open which had eight of the world's top 10 golfers in the field. It has been an excellent year so far for Casey who won on the European Tour in Abu Dhabi and also reached the final of the WGC Accenture Matchplay Championship.

He has now climbed to No 6 in the world rankings and, added to his tremendous length off the tee, has started to find some magic on the greens and is currently ranked No 1 in putting on the PGA Tour. More European hopes lie with Henrik Stenson who tied for third place in Houston, and there are not many better players than the powerful Swede when his confidence is up. It is probably asking too much to expect a 49-year-old to threaten this week, although the evergreen Fred Couples remains a genuine Augusta specialist, sharing the record for making the most consecutive Masters cuts - 23 - with Gary Player

He failed to make the last two rounds 12 months ago for the first time in his career, but is back at Augusta with his confidence soaring after sharing third place with Stenson in Houston. Player, meanwhile, makes his 52nd and final Masters appearance, eclipsing the record of another all-time golfing great, Arnold Palmer, who is at Augusta again as the tournament's ceremonial starter. Also making a farewell appearance - his 31st - is another former champion, Fuzzy Zoeller, while Greg Norman, whose heart was broken by Larry Mize's chip-in for a sudden death victory on the 11th hole in 1987 - tees it up for the first time in seven years.

Everything points towards a classic Masters week, and while there are a dozen or so players with realistic hopes of slipping into a green jacket on Sunday, one of them stands out. It's Tiger for me. pparkin@thenational.ae