Tiger Woods AT&T National: Why Tiger Still Has a Shot at Another Major Title

Tiger Woods once again showed on Friday at the AT&T National why he's not the same player in 2012 as he's been the past couple of years.

That's a good thing.

Despite being a 14-time major champion, Woods hasn't won a major since the 2008 U.S. Open. But he's getting closer.

On Friday at Congressional, Woods shot a three-under-par 68, which brought him to two under par after the first couple rounds of the tournament. Of the 35 complete rounds he's golfed in 2012, he's shot under 70 a respectable 15 times.

Headed into the AT&T National, he had averaged 3.63 birdies per round, good for 18th on the PGA Tour (per ESPN). And he hit a shot on Friday that once again roused the crowd.

In his second round on Friday, Woods made a 45-foot eagle on the 16th hole. This was after his 50-foot chip shot at the Memorial that got people talking again.

The fact of the matter is he's showing the ability to win majors again. He may have flopped at the close of the Masters and the U.S. Open this year, but, every now and then, he's catching lightning in a bottle. This was unfathomable even a year ago.

Is Woods ever going to be as consistent as he was in the past? Probably not, he's not the same golfer who can go on the same kinds of runs. But does he have a shot at a 15th major? Of course he does. He has two PGA Tour victories on the year.

It's not as much of a perfect storm for Tiger anymore. Since late 2009, he's battled with his mental game and injuries, not to mention his swing. But he's making world-class shots again, and he's healthy, which are both good signs.

Has he completely regained his mental edge? No, he hasn't. That showed in the Masters and the U.S. Open. But, given how much better he's looked in 2012 overall, there's no reason why he can't win another major before his career is through. 

Just don't expect him to be the dominant Tiger from 1997-2008.

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