Masters 2012: 10 Signs Tiger Won't Add Another Green Jacket to His Wardrobe

The Masters is one month away, and Tiger Woods is still trying to find his way to the top. His latest performances are a clear sign that his intentions to wear yet another green jacket are a long shot.

Despite coming off of a strong finish at The Honda Classic, Tiger needs to put up more than one consistent round to have a shot at the Masters.

This can be the sixth consecutive year in which he sees someone else put the green jacket on.

Approach Shots

Sure, we still get a glimpse of Tiger's control when it comes to the irons, but his deadly accurate approach shots are simply not what they used to be.

At Augusta, he will need to be perfect for a simple reason: the greens' undulations.

Bunkers

This is of course a consequence of poor approach shots. It's fair to say that his sand save percentage is 57, but we wouldn't need to talk about that stat if he avoided the beach, huh?

Augusta's bunkers are complex, so Eldrick really needs to work on his woods and irons, quick!

Can't Keep the Lead

If there was someone who could keep the lead on a Sunday, that was Tiger Woods.

Remember the 2011 Australian Open? What about the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship? Those used to be a piece of cake a done deal even before the final round started, but I guess those days are over.

Changes

His swing seems to be getting there but Woods has been struggling a bit in that area. Sure, he has added some yards; last year his driving distance was 293.5, now he hits it up to 300.2.

He hasn't tuned it up but needs to do it as soon as possible. Who wants to get to a major with a swing under construction?

Competition

Rory McIlroy, Bill Haas, Phil Mickelson, Luke Donald, you name it! Competition is fiercer than ever and Tiger hasn't kept up.

He has faced some of the best golfers around in the past month without success. Now, what do you think will happen in a major championship?

No More Intimidation

Seriously, Tiger has lost any intimidation factor he once had. If anyone—from fans to media—knew that Tiger was either leading or chasing, that threatening feeling just popped up.

Now that's just a memory—it has vanished and having Tiger in the field is just having another competitor around.

Off the Course Issues

All the little things that surround Tiger outside the ropes have compromised his concentration.

Mentality is the major force on golf, and Woods isn't in his best phase. He needs to focus on what he's good at and stop taking things like Hank Haney's book too seriously. 

Remember how he answered at The Honda Classic when a reporter asked about it?

Pressure

Can you beat Jack Nicklaus' record? "It's going to take a while. It didn't take Jack overnight to get to 18," Tiger said prior to The Honda Classic.

The media keeps asking the same question, while people expects him to catch the Golden Bear. I don't see how he's not feeling the heat.

The spotlight will be on him as soon as he gets to Augusta.

Putter

Tiger's putting needs major improvement. Everybody knows that faltering with the putter is to dig one's grave.

Sure, he shot 62 at The Honda Classic, but in the three previous rounds, he had seven bogeys and a double bogey.

Still Winless

Tiger finished tied for third at Abu Dhabi, tied for 15th at AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, tied for 17th at the WGC Accenture Match Play Championship, and runner-up at The Honda Classic.

Good results, huh? Still, he hasn't win a real tournament; The Chevron World Challenge is limited-field and part of the silly season.

He needs a victory soon for a simple reason: confidence.