BEIJING, March 19 -- Oddsmakers didn't take long to make Tiger Woods the Masters favorite. Even his fellow competitors say they can see him trying on another green jacket.

They're expecting the Tiger of old at Augusta National. That might be because it's the only Tiger they know.

I say he'll be lucky to make the cut. It's not just the five months he has gone without hitting a shot for real, though that surely can't help. Woods will be rusty and the Masters is not a place to try to fine tune your game.

U.S. team member Tiger Woods watches play as he stands on the sixth hole during his foursome match at the Presidents Cup golf tournament at Harding Park golf course in San Francisco, California, in this October 8, 2009 file photo.

No, it's because the Woods saga is a story that has morphed into a lot more than just the tale of a man who pretended to be something he wasn't. Once one of the most esteemed athletes in the world, he's now a soap opera-like figure whose last scripted apology clearly showed he has a lot more left to accomplish in his 12-step rehabilitation program.

He'll go to Augusta still stinging from the pasting he's taken from the tabloids and the late-night shows since crashing his car Thanksgiving night. He'll go there vulnerable and, for the first time, unsure what kind of reception he'll get.

The media will want to ask him questions. The fans will want him to act contrite.

【体坛英语资讯：Tigers aura gone, but what about skills?】相关文章：

★ 体坛英语资讯：Venus, Sharapova go through at Wimbledon

★ 体坛英语资讯：Vultures circling over Federer

★ 体坛英语资讯：Spain beat Germany 1-0 to lift Euro 2008 title

★ 体坛英语资讯：China wins womens team title at table tennis worlds

★ 体坛资讯：Iran fights back to draw China 2-2

★ 娱乐英语资讯：Mischa Barton arrested in W. Hollywood

★ 娱乐英语资讯：Tom and Katie plan steamy photo shoot

★ 体坛英语资讯：China chalks up breathtaking victory at world table tennis

★ 体坛英语资讯：Liu begins training in isolation

★ 体坛英语资讯：Beijing Olympic flame arrives in Canberra