Does Tiger Woods have a chance of winning The Masters again?

Tiger Woods is the defending champion at The Masters but does he have a realistic chance of winning another Green Jacket at Augusta this year?

Though it was 17 months ago when we were last at Augusta National Golf Club for The Masters, the sights on Sunday were unforgettable. Like old times, it was Tiger Woods putting on the Green Jacket for his fifth win in the illustrious major championship. So after the postponement due to COVID-19, Woods will be the defending champion for the first-even November Masters.

The fact that this tournament is being played in the heart of the fall is noteworthy in itself. But the mere fact that Woods is not just still in the fold but won the last time this tournament was played makes it a historic moment. And the only thing that could make it more historic would be for Tiger to win in his defense.

From a simple betting perspective, that isn’t the most likely outcome this week. Woods is listed at +4500 according to GolfBet, tied with Matthew Wolff for the 17th-best odds to win. That’s a far cry from 2019 when he had the fourth-best odds in the field at +1400. However, it’s not hard to see why his chances have dropped so precipitously given his recent form.

While that may be true, this is Tiger Woods at Augusta, which changes the entire equation. So the question must be asked as he’s set to defend his title: Does Tiger have any shot of putting on another Green Jacket, tying him with Jack Nicklaus for the most Masters career victories ever?

The odds for Tiger Woods at The Masters in 2020 are between slim and none.

If Tigers Woods is going to win The Masters in 2020, it’s going to take a stark diversion from the way he’s been playing as of late. There is no question that intimate knowledge of Augusta will aid him as it does every year but that only means so much if he isn’t playing well. Furthermore, it may mean less than ever given that we’ve never seen how it plays in November, much less when there is a ton of rain in the forecast.

His recent performance is the most important factor in the equation, though. At 44 years old, Woods’ game isn’t where it needs to be to win any tournament, much less one as grueling as The Masters in terms of the course and the competition.

Woods has played twice in the new season and both times out have been relative disasters. He missed the cut at the U.S. Open before finishing tied for 72nd at the ZOZO Championship, another tournament in which he was the defending champion — albeit being played in a different country this year than it was in 2019.

It’s not just the results either — the eye test and the stats match up to show a player who is not in major championship form. Tiger ranks outside the top 175 in every Strokes Gained statistical category this season and was on a downward trajectory after winning at Augusta last year in that regard as well.

Again, you never want to count Tiger Woods out when he’s teeing it up at Augusta. Especially at this point in his career, that’s can’t-miss stuff for golf fans. However, his form suggests that he’s nowhere near ready to defend his title in 2020. Frankly, just making the cut at The Masters would have to be considered a moral victory for Woods.