April 7, 2009

By Tiger Woods

Hello from Augusta, Georgia, where I'm preparing for the Masters Tournament. I arrived Sunday and played 18 holes, and the course is in perfect condition. I practiced Monday and will likely play Tuesday, depending on the weather. I'll practice but likely won't play on Wednesday, then go home early to rest for the first round. I started this routine at majors in 2006 at Royal Liverpool and it's worked out pretty well.

Obviously, there is a lot of excitement for the first major tournament of the year. I feel good about my game and had good practice sessions with Hank Haney. I didn't work on anything specific; just did a lot of fine-tuning.

The main reason for that is we never know how the course is playing until we get there. As we all know, it usually changes from Thursday through Sunday - it's just part of the experience. From year-to-year, we don't know what's going to happen. The last two years, the weather has been challenging. Hopefully, it will be better this week.

I'm bringing a 2-iron and a 5-wood, and won't decide which one to carry until after I play my practice rounds. A lot will depend on how the fourth hole is set up.

I don't really have a favorite hole at Augusta National. I like all 18. They're so different from each other.

I will likely skip the Par-3 Tournament on Wednesday. I played in it about every year until 2005. You play a practice round in the morning, then sit around for your tee time. It just becomes a long day and takes away from your main preparation. I'm sure there will be a day when I come back and play, especially when Sam and Charlie get a little older and can caddie for me.

Charlie has touched a club, but he can't hold one yet. Sam didn't grab a club until she was able to crawl. She's still not swinging a club; she'd rather throw the ball.

It's nice to have a little momentum going into the Masters. The win at Bay Hill validated all the hard work Hank and I put in after my knee surgery. Honestly, it felt just the same as all my other wins. The only difference was I didn't have any pain in my left knee.

A year ago at this time, I was just hoping to get through the Masters. There's really no comparison; it's stable. Last year, I had no ACL and my cartilage was damaged. I had surgery the following week. This year, the knee feels strong and I can drive into my left leg.

I've been asked how I feel about being ranked No. 1 in the world. Obviously, you take pride in your performance. If you play well, the ranking will take care of itself. It shows you've been consistent and haven't had a lot of bad weeks.

That's all for now. Have a happy Easter and I'll check back after the Masters.

Tiger