The Masters 2011: Is Tiger Woods Really This Year's Favorite?

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The Masters 2011: Tiger Woods Is Odds-On Favorite, but Is He Really the Best Bet to Take Home the Green Jacket?

The 2011 Masters tournament features one of the most wide-open fields in recent memory. After all, Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods are just starting to find their stroke, while Lee Westwood has been decidedly mediocre, and Martin Kaymer has yet to make a cut at Augusta.

But, that didn't make it any less surprising to see Tiger listed as the favorite to win his fifth green jacket, according to Vegas oddsmakers. It's been almost two years since Woods' last win, and his game hasn't exactly inspired much confidence in his ability to become the fearsome force of nature that he's been in years past.

In fact, even USA Today's Reid Cherner seems skeptical of Woods' ability to win the tournament, saying that the former world No. 1 golfer isn't the player he used to be.

"Our eyes tell us that this is not the same Woods who dominated the game and struck fear into the hearts of his opponents."

Cherner's not alone in that assessment of Woods' game; fellow golfer/frequent Tiger basher Ian Poulter has told reporters he's not afraid of the once-terrifying jungle cat.

“I don’t think he’ll finish in the top five,” Poulter said, citing Woods’ play at the World Golf Championships at Doral four weeks ago.

“The shots he was hitting at Doral, they were very inconsistent,” Poulter said. “You can’t afford to hit shots like that on this golf course and get away with it. I don’t think you want to rely on your short game that much around this place.”

But, perhaps we shouldn't be so quick to write Tiger off. He's been one of the best golfers in history at Augusta National, and even at his nadir last season, he managed a fourth-place finish here. He's shown flashes of the greatness we all remember, and if he puts it all together, Tiger could roar past the field once again.

That's something both Poulter and Cherner seem to see as a possibility, even if they don't believe it will happen.

In the end, it's apparent that given Woods' history and almost constant strong play at Augusta, it really is impossible not to see him as a threat at this tournament. He deserves his place among the favorites this weekend, even if Poulter, who loves to take potshots at Tiger, doesn't think he does.

For more golf, check out 2011 Masters Odds, Favorites and Predictions for This Year's Championship.

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