A cutabove Woods win adds zing to the Masters

It's finally happened — Tiger Woods was back on the podium on Sunday, hoisting the trophy. And with his seventh Arnold Palmer Invitational title at Bay Hill, I think all talk about his ability to win golf tournaments should stop. I guess his results in the last few months were a good enough portent of things to come, but the reason I kept talking about it was because he started hitting pin-high shots. I personally feel that one of the best indicators of how well you are hitting your shots is when you start getting your distances right. If you are hitting it pin-high, it is highly unlikely that you are spraying your shots. You are also neither under-clubbing, nor over-clubbing the ball. Which means you are hitting it pure and with a lot of confidence. Even when you are hitting your shots with that kind of purity, it is not easy to win golf tournaments. There are so many other factors that come into play, including the fact that one of your rivals could be having a super-hot day out there. Then there is a very real possibility of your putter going cold. You may be hitting your irons brilliantly, but you could be having an off day with the driver. More than anything else, one facet of Woods' game that was really spot-on last week was his putting. I have never seen him putt so well in the last couple of years. Except for the surprising three-putt bogey on the second hole on Sunday, I don't think he missed anything from that very important zone of 15 feet and under. Interesting battle There is always a lot of interest surrounding the Masters, the first Major of the season, but Woods' victory has just taken it to another level. It's going to be a very interesting battle between him and the in-form world No 1 Luke Donald and No 2 Rory McIlroy. And I wouldn't rule out world No 3 Lee Westwood either. I am taking a week off as the European Tour heads to Sicily. The last two weeks in Spain and Morocco have been disappointing despite the fact that I am hitting the ball well. I think I just need to sort out a few things on the range, which I hope to do this week, before heading off for four continuous weeks in Asia, starting with Singapore during Masters week.