Poulter takes aim at wounded Tiger
ENGLAND’S Ian Poulter believes Tiger Woods’ hopes of securing a first Major title since 2008 won’t come to fruition at Augusta this week.
Last year Woods ended a four-month break from the game following the storm surrounding his orivate life with a fourth place finish at Augusta, but he failed to build on that performance, is without a victory in any sort of tournament since 2009 and is now ranked seventh in the world.
Last month Rory McIlroy described Woods, who will begin his Masters campaign alongside US Open champion Graeme McDowell and Robert Allenby, as “playing like an ordinary golfer” and now Poulter has added his controversial view to the Tiger debate.
“I don’t think he’ll finish in the top five,” said Poulter. “I think at the minute there’s a couple of inconsistent shots. The shots he was hitting at Doral (Woods came 10th at the WGC-Cadillac Championship) were very inconsistent.
“You can’t afford to hit shots like that round this golf course and get away with it. You have to rely on your short game an awful lot if that’s the case.
“When he gets himself in a position where he’s close he generally holes putts at the right time. He hasn’t done it for a while, but I think that if he starts to hole the putts at the right time you are going to see the Tiger of old and that’s dangerous.
“But I don’t see it this week – I just don’t see it myself.”