Tiger Woods celebrates holing the winning putt in his 2005 playoff win over Chris Dimarco (Getty Images)

Can Tiger Woods win a 15th major? Could he do it at Augusta National? Kent Gray asks those who know best.

When tiger woods hobbled out of the Omega Dubai Desert Classic in early February 2017, the end appeared nigh.

Hosting his annual charity tournament in the neighbouring emirate of Abu Dhabi at the time, Gary Player conceded the former world No.1 faced a “monumental challenge” to be competitive again.

It was debatable whether the Black Knight, a nine-time major winner and champion of physical well-being, was more concerned about the back spasms Woods cited following his withdrawal or the sloppy approaches, yippy chipping and tentative putting that had marked his opening 77 on the Majlis layout at Emirates Golf Club.

Super-coach cum Sky Sports analyst Butch Harmon was even more pessimistic after commentating on Woods’ five-over-par Thursday, his worst score in 29 competitive rounds at the European Tour event.

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“I’d like to say yes, but it doesn’t seem likely at the moment,” Harmon said of his former charges’ chances of regaining his heyday form after Woods’ scratching was confirmed just minutes before his scheduled second-round tee-time.

“Tiger is 41-years-old, he’s had three back surgeries and four knee surgeries, and the young kids on Tour right now are playing better and better.”

Few who had witnessed Woods’ walk with such a cautious gait and curtail swing after swing with a stiff, ungainly looking finish in Dubai would have been brave enough to offer a counter-argument to Harmon’s assessment.

Fast-forward to the 30th-anniversary edition of the Desert Classic in January and Woods’ name was again nowhere to be seen on the leaderboard in Dubai. It didn’t stop his rejuvenated game from being a conversation starter, however, and why not after a remarkable 2018 which saw Woods capture the ‘Comeback-of-the-Year’ award at the recent Laureus World Sports Awards.

“Yeah, definitely,” Tommy Fleetwood offered when asked if he expected Woods to contend again in 2019 after ending 2018 by winning the Tour Championship at East Lake, his 80th PGA Tour title and first win since the 2013 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational.

Indeed, the Englishman sees no reason why the 14-time major champion can’t edge closer to Jack Nicklaus’ record 18 bigs this season. After contending for the Claret Jug at Carnoustie (T-6) last July and finishing two-shots shy of Brooks Koepka at Bellerive Country Club at the PGA Championship the following month, Woods is “trending” according to Fleetwood.

“I was lucky enough to play with him a few times last year, and I thought if you didn’t know he was Tiger Woods, if he was just a random player that you see out on Tour every week, you’d have just watched him and said: ‘This guy is due a win or…he’s trending in the right direction for sure’,” Fleetwood continued.

“He’s very, very close, and that’s without him being Tiger Woods. I’m pretty sure he’ll be up there. If I were a betting man, I would have a little flutter on him winning a major this year but again, who knows.”

Of course, there are no guarantees for a golfer who underwent his fourth back surgery in April 2017 to alleviate the back and leg pain so evident in Dubai two months earlier. Then again, this is Tiger we’re talking about.

“I was never one to say that he couldn’t make a good come back,” said Swede Henrik Stenson, the 2016 Open champion.

“I think what he’s done over the years and the career that he’s had, it would be a little bit foolish to say that you don’t see him winning golf tournaments and having a good come back when and if he got healthy, and he did.

“Now I think if he can stay healthy and if his body is going to hold up to the stress that the golf swing putts on it… yeah, I can see him winning more tournaments for sure.”

More tournaments? How about more majors? How about at Augusta National where Woods has such a formidable record – four green jackets, a pair of runner-up finishes and a total of 17 top-25 placings in 21 starts?

Bryson DeChambeau, who won the 30th Desert Classic in record fashion and is one of the “young kids” Harmon spoke of back in 2017, inadvertently reverted back to Harmon’s comments.

He’s very, very close and that’s without him being Tiger Woods. If I was a betting man, I’d have a little flutter on him winning a major this year. – Tommy Fleetwood

Tommy Fleetwood said he would put a bet on Tiger winning a major. Do you think he will be challenging in 2019, Bryson?

“Hopefully I have something to say on that,” said DeChambeau, never one shy of sharing a golfing theory, no matter how whacky it might have seemed a year or two ago. Much like the prospect of Woods winning again, much less a major title.

“I would say that he’s got a very good chance, absolutely. Augusta is obviously one of his favourites. Pebble Beach [for the U.S. Open] is pretty solid, he loves that place.

“But I think there’s a lot of other good players, as well, now. He’s spurred up a lot of incredible young players…he influenced me to become better. He influenced Jordan. He influenced Rory, a bunch of people, everyone out here.

“That’s the cool part is that he’s now seeing [the monster] he created, so it’s funny. But he’s still a 14-time major champion. He knows how to get it done, so it’s going to be a difficult test if we’re going up against him. It will be fun.”

As Harmon alluded, so many youngsters believe now and aren’t encumbered by the scar tissue of Tiger’s past conquests. But while the fear factor is gone, Woods’ will to win his 15th major and his intimate knowledge of Augusta National remains as strong as ever.

Can Tiger Woods win the 83rd U.S. Masters? You wouldn’t bet against it. Golf’s anti-corruption rules mean Fleetwood isn’t actually allowed to have a flutter but as Stenson says, you’d be foolish to write the Big Cat off.

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Tiger’s Masters Magic

1997
Woods captures his first major title, a record 12 strokes clear of runner-up Tom Kite, to become the youngest Masters champion aged 21. Like the margin of victory, Tiger’s 270 (−18) aggregate also remains a Masters record but was equalled by Jordan Spieth in 2015. The final round broadcast was seen by an estimated 44 million viewers in the United States alone.

2001
With a two-stroke victory over David Duval at the 65th Masters tournament, Woods (272, -16) completed the “Tiger Slam” having won the U.S. Open, Open Championship and PGA Championship in 2000. Only Bobby Jones, in 1930, under a different major championship structure has won all four majors in the same year.

2002
With a score of 276 (−12), Woods (pictured above) edged Retief Goosen by three strokes on an Augusta National layout lengthened by 261 metres. It was only the third successful defence of the green jacket following Jack Nicklaus (1965-1966) and Sir Nick Faldo (1989-1990).

2005
Woods donned his fourth green jacket after beating Chris DiMarco at the first hole of sudden death after the American duo had finished a wet-week on 276, -12. Coincidentally, the 69th Masters was the playing swan-song of six-time champion Jack Nicklaus at Augusta National.