AUGUSTA, Ga. -- At this time last year at Augusta National, Tiger Woods was on his way to winning his fourth consecutive major.
This year, Woods returns as the defending champion, but he has not won a major since the 2001 Masters. After taking two weeks off from tournament golf to prepare for this week, Woods sounded confident about his game and his chances for the season's first major, which begins on Thursday.
"I felt like the practice sessions I had at home were very, very positive," Woods said at a news conference Tuesday. "The golf course definitely favors a guy that hits the ball farther, but you have to hit the ball straight, too. You can't just bomb it away like you used to in the past."
Masters preview, Page 7D
