Tiger shaping up for Masters

DORAL, Florida – Fans began showing up at Doral Golf Resort on Tuesday morning when it was dark. Several hundred surrounded the first tee when Tiger Woods finally arrived for another practice round at dawn.

And then he was gone.

Unlike his short-lived return to competition two weeks ago at the Accenture Match Play Championship, where he was eliminated in the second round, this disappearing act lasted only a few seconds as he walked through a thick strip of fog that stretched across the fairway.

Woods is assured of playing four rounds this week.

The CA Championship, which starts on Thursday on the Blue Monster with a world-class field of 80 players, will be his first stroke-play tournament since he won the US Open in June, a week before reconstructive surgery on his left knee.

There is no cut, which certainly helps.

“I’ve only played two tournaments in what – 10 months? Not a whole lot of golf,” Woods said. “So for me, I just need rounds under my belt, and this week will obviously be a very positive week for me – four rounds and no cuts, which is exactly what I need.”

It is a drastic change from where he was a year ago.

Woods had won seven consecutive tournaments over six months when he showed up at Doral last year with the golf world buzzing over the prospect of a perfect season. Geoff Ogilvy stopped all the hype by winning the CA Championship. Two weeks later, Trevor Immelman ended the discussion of a Grand Slam with a three-shot victory over Woods at the Masters.

And now?

Since leaving Doral last year, Woods has played 11 rounds of tournament golf.

Sergio Garcia has a chance to replace him at No. 1 in the world this week if he wins the CA Championship and Woods finishes 27th or worse. Woods has never been out of the top 10 at Doral, but no one really knows what to expect.

Two days in Arizona for the Match Play revealed more about the state of his knee than the state of his game.        (AP)