DRESSED ALL in black, more like a panther than a striped tiger, the main man returned to a major stage at Augusta yesterday. Much has changed since Tiger Woods last played in – and won – a major championship, in the US Open at Torrey Pines last June.

The world has been hit by an economic recession; the United States has elected its first black President and, while the cat’s been away, Pádraig Harrington has proved unbeatable in majors.

Now, though, he’s back! And, you know, it seemed like he had never been away.

Tiger Woods strolled in to the interview room at Augusta National – through the back door – just as he has done each and every year and, trademark smile in place, proceeded to reply to questions as if going through the motions of a clean-shaven Gillette ad for television.

What are Pádraig Harrington’s chances of maintaining his major streak en route to a career Grand Slam?

“Well, it’s not going to be easy. I remember trying to do it myself, and it’s hard. It’s hard to peak four straight times. There’s a lot of factors that go into it: having your game come together, playing well at the right time, and, on top of that, getting the right breaks.

“People don’t realise, just one gust of wind here or there is a shot that you don’t think could cost you the tournament on Thursday but sometimes it does.”

How well do you know Rory McIlroy and what advice would you give him?

“He’s certainly got the game to play well, not just in Europe, but here in the United States and all over the world. He has the talent . . . it’s just a matter of gaining the experience of playing more big events. And that will come in time.

“There’s no hurry. There’s no rush. It’s just a matter of time before he really starts winning a lot of tournaments.”

What Tiger didn’t say was that he had declined to play a practice round with McIlroy in the run-up to the season’s first major, which Mark O’Meara reckoned should be taken as a compliment by the Northern Irish teenager. It must mean, we assume, that Tiger includes him as a rival.

But, then, everyone is a rival to Tiger Woods.

He’s the guy who has been raising the bar for everyone since he turned professional and, now, he is back and chasing Jack Nicklaus’s major haul of 18 majors.

Woods, on 14, has time on his side but is eager to start playing catch-up again and also to improve on his near-misses of 2007 (when he finished tied-second, two shots adrift of Zach Johnson) and last year, when he was again runner-up.

Of those close calls where he came up short, Woods observed: “The last couple of years, my putting has been streaky. I get on rolls where I make on everything and I get on rolls where I don’t make anything. Consequently, I didn’t win the tournament.

“You have to be very consistent around this golf course, to make the putts when you have the opportunity, because they are not going to come as frequent as they used to.”

Nobody needs to tell Woods that he is still the man everyone has to beat. He knows it. In his last US Tour event, the Bay Hill Invitational, Woods – in just his third tournament since his comeback from knee surgery – holed a birdie putt on the 72nd hole to beat Sean O’Hair.

This is his fourth tournament of that comeback; and not only is Woods talking of making further inroads on Nicklaus’s career record, but he also has eyes on the Grand Slam.

Last year, he was reminded, he sat in the same interview chair and claimed that the Grand Slam – a feat never before achieved in the one season – was easily within reach.

He may have had an eight -month hiatus from the game, concentrating on his burgeoning course design business as well as expanding his family and recuperating from surgery and working in the gym on building up his knee, but Woods yesterday insisted the great dream was still possible.

He remarked, “I know I can do it. I’ve done it (the so-called Tiger Slam in 2001). It’s hard for me to sit here and tell you it can’t be done, because I’ve done it before.

“It’s just a matter of winning the right four at the right time. So, hopefully, it will start this week for me.”

Woods, though, has had his preparations disrupted by the weather.

Normally, he is on the course at the crack of dawn and close to the turn by the time spectators are allowed through the gates.

On Monday, he was limited to just five holes late in the afternoon as he cancelled a morning session due to forecasts of possibly thunderstorms in the area.

“It made no sense to get out there.”

Yesterday, he didn’t play at all. “I’m not going to learn a whole lot, (in) conditions we’re not going to face all week.”

All in all, there was both a calmness and a confidence about Woods’s demeanour. Just like the old times. Almost as if he had never been away.

Yesterday he gave a one word response to a question.

“With the backdrop of the nine-month lay-off and having only played three tournaments, can you assess your chances here? Do you expect to win?” he was asked.

The reply? “Always.”

He’s back!