Resurgence of Tiger Woods sparks huge interest, but will fans get a fairytale finish at the US Masters?

Tiger Woods only has to be ‘thereabouts’ come the final day of the US Masters and standby for complete madness. He is the sport. If he’s in contention, the world will be watching.

Tiger Woods of the United States waves on the eighth green during the first round of the 2018 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club.

Brace for an outbreak of Tigermania.

It’s been 11 long years since Eldrick Tont “Tiger” Woods saluted in a major, but rarely has the frenzy surrounding the American golfing superstar been greater than before this week’s US Masters.

PGA Tour data reveals TV viewers in tournaments featuring Woods have surged a remarkable 53 per cent since his comeback from spinal fusion surgery last season.

Woods’ drought-breaking win at last year’s Tour Championship in Atlanta sparked wild scenes, but it will be nothing compared to the roars bellowing through the Georgia pines if he’s in contention this weekend.

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Six younger rivals — Dustin Johnson, Rory McIlroy, Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas, Brooks Koepka and Justin Rose — sit ahead of Woods in the betting markets, but only Spieth, aged just three when Woods claimed his first green jacket in 1997 (with an astonishing 12-shot victory at the age of 21), has won around here before.

Woods triumphed again at Augusta in 2001-02 and 2005 before his life spiralled south thanks to chronic injury and personal upheaval.

Now he’s back and, niggling neck injury aside, appears in the best shape, physically and mentally, to claim a fifth Masters title since his fourth place behind Adam Scott six years ago.

“Tiger’s return last year added a new storyline, one of golf’s all-time greats competing against a generation of young Tour stars he helped inspire,” PGA commissioner Jay Monahan said.

Tiger Woods plays his shot from the second tee during the first round of the 2018 Masters.

“This development is one no other sport can offer and one that will help continue to build the existing star power on Tour. As Tiger approaches Sam Snead’s record of 82 PGA Tour wins, we feel the accomplishment would be among the greatest sporting accomplishments of all time and deserves its proper due.”

In his first coming, Woods, a phenomenon who sat as the world No. 1 for 683 cumulative weeks, wasn’t everyone’s cup of tea.

This time around the Floridian elder statesman, who has clawed back to world No. 12 and will captain the US team in the Presidents Cup at Royal Melbourne in December, appears to have won over a greater share of the world’s sporting fans.

Tiger Woods has won at Augusta in 1997, 2001-02 and 2005.

He had fans in stitches at last month’s Players Championship after mimicking playing partner Kevin Na’s habit of chasing his ball into the hole.

“He is (more relaxed), but he’s still got that real competitive fire inside him,” Australian rival Marc Leishman said.

“There is no chance he would have done that if he was anywhere near the lead.

“He knows how to have fun and when to have fun, but like you saw at the Tour Championship last year, when he gets a sniff he’s hard to beat.

Tiger Woods receives his green jacket from Phil Mickelson after winning in 2005.

“He’ll do everything he can to win.”

Digital consumption on PGA Tour-owned platforms is up 20 per cent when Woods isn’t playing, and 50 per cent when he is.

Followers of a “Tiger Tracker” Twitter account detailing Woods’ every shot on tour — in the event they find themselves momentarily stranded without access to a TV — have topped 340,000.

The game itself is enjoying something of a renaissance as a new generation of golfing stars make their mark.

Woods’ time is running out, but few can better plot their way around this storeyed course.

His four wins at Augusta are accompanied by another nine top-10 finishes.

NBC golf analyst Paul Azinger said it best of Woods last month.

“He’s the most interesting guy by far who plays the game,” Azinger said.

The only player they want to see: Tiger Woods plays a shot from the third tee last year.

“The Tour is a two-pony show. Tiger is one pony and the rest are the other pony. Not to take anything away from those guys; they’d probably admit it, too.

“He’s a living, breathing, walking miracle. Whoever did his surgery, that surgery should have a name like Tommy John surgery. Because if you play with a fused back, that’s off the charts.

“It’s impossible to be the next Tiger. There is never going to be anything like that. I don’t think there is a next anybody coming. We should really appreciate what we’ve got to see and what’s sticking around because that window now is getting really small.”

A more jovial, relaxed and at peace Woods has emerged since his surgery in April 2017 and a 15th major victory this week might just herald sport’s greatest comeback.

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AUSSIES’ AUGUSTA HOPES FADE

Australia’s hopes of having a fifth golfer for this week’s Masters appear over, with Aaron Baddeley and Matt Jones well off the pace set by Si Woo Kim at the PGA Tour’s Texas Open.

South Korean Kim narrowly missed a second hole-in-one on consecutive days. He also missed the follow-up birdie putt, and his four-shot lead was trimmed to one over qualifier Corey Conners.

Kim aced the 16th hole at San Antonio in the second round, but missed it by centimetres yesterday on the way to a third-round three-under 69 after consecutive rounds of 66.

He was at 15 under, with Connors — trying to become the first Monday qualifier to win on the PGA Tour since 2010 — a stroke back after shooting a 66.

“I think about yesterday, like I can’t believe it, and then it was pretty close today, too,” Kim said. “I thought it would go in for sure.”

Baddeley matched Kim’s 69 to be best of the Australian contingent at six under and a share of 24th.

Jones (74) slid back to five under and a tie for 40th.

Both must win the event to earn an invitation to Augusta, joining countrymen Jason Day, Marc Leishman, Cameron Smith and Adam Scott.

With AAP

Originally published as Resurgence of Tiger Woods sparks huge interest, but will fans get a fairytale finish at the US Masters?