Tiger Woods is in position to win his first PGA Tour tournament since 2009, as he enters the final round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational with a one-stroke lead. over Graeme McDowell.
This would be an important win for a few reasons One, it would not only be Tiger's first win in more than two years, but it would also come in a tournament that he's won six times (2000-2003, 2008, 2009). Perhaps more importantly, this is the last tournament he'll play in before the Masters, so this would be a great final memory.
Look for Tiger to seal the deal and head to Augusta with happy thoughts. Before we take a look at why, let's see some of the stuff that you will need to know so you don't miss a moment.
Tiger's Tee Time: 2:05 p.m. ET.
He and Graeme McDowell will make up the final pairing at Bay Hill.
TV Coverage: The final round will start at 12:30 p.m. ET on The Golf Channel. NBC will pick up the coverage two hours later.
Prediction: I've already said that Tiger will win, and the reason is simple. He is playing solid golf. That isn't to say that he's not making mistakes, but he's not making them in spots where others are thriving. If he makes a bogey, there's a pretty good chance that those chasing him have also made a bogey on that same hole.
The reason for this is really simple, on holes where hitting the fairway is far and away the top priority, Tiger is doing exactly that. Yes, he's missing the occasional fairway, but those are on wide open holes that don't really penalize golfers for finding the rough.
Something else that's happening is that Woods is finding the greens, whether he hits the fairway or not. When a person finds the fairways and greens, they're not making many bogeys, which is an essential part of losing a final round lead.
That isn't happening here, and this is a course that he knows extremely well. Obviously, you don't win six times at a place unless you're really comfortable there. Tiger is showing that comfort this week, which bodes extremely well for the final 18 holes.
As if all of that wasn't enough, he will be very determined to close the deal out. This is important for his Masters' success for two big reasons.
One, Tiger has never won a Masters without winning a prior tournament that season. It makes sense, as finding the winning formula isn't something typically done at Augusta. Down the stretch on Sunday, having recent experiences to draw from is going to be essential. Knowing that, I just don't see him lacking any focus on Sunday.
Two, if Woods wins a tournament, especially one that he's had such great success at, it at least puts some doubt in the minds of the rest of the players. Are we really returning to the era where he had 99 percent of the field beat before the opening tee shot was struck at a tournament.
Even if the answer is no, this is a great thought to put in the minds of your opponents, just two weeks before the Masters.
The mental aspect is huge here, and it compliments the physical end of the game perfectly. The stars are aligned for Woods to end his drought and head to Augusta with winning thoughts in his head.
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