History beckons Woods

On the forecourt of a garage on Washington Road, across from the Magnolia Lane entrance to Augusta National Golf Club, there is a modern sculpture composed entirely of coke cans. The central message is "Slam It, Tiger", and that, in a nutshell, is what this US Masters is all about. If Tiger Woods wins, then he becomes the first player to hold all four professional majors simultaneously. History beckons.

The purity of that possible Grand Slam is a different issue. Some say that it must be achieved in the same calendar year. Others, like Darren Clarke, aren't so sure.

"I think if Tiger wins this week and holds all four, he can decide whatever he wants to decide," insisted Clarke. What is beyond any doubt, however, is that a Woods win, should it happen, would rank as one of the most outstanding feats in sporting history.

In 1995, when Woods made his Masters debut as an amateur, he was paired alongside Jose Maria Olazabal. After the first round, the Spaniard joked that Woods drove the ball so far off the tee that he needed binoculars to see it.

Much has changed since then. Woods still hits the ball a long way, but he has added further dimensions to his game. He has evolved from an amateur with immense promise into the best player in the world, and he firmly believes his destiny is to win more majors.

There is also a sense that he is overdue a win at Augusta. After his victory in 1997 - when he set 20 tournament records, including lowest 72-hole score, largest winning margin ever and youngest winner - the tournament committee set about Tiger-proofing the course.

Interestingly, the tweaking and cosmetic changes undertaken in recent years have not been repeated this time round, as if enough changes have been made for now: in effect, the course is exactly as it was 12 months ago when Vijay Singh triumphed.

Woods has been focused on this week for a long time. "I've probably been practising specifically for the Masters since the beginning of the year," he admitted.

What he can't legislate for, however, is the weather. And the past few days in Augusta have not been your typical Georgia weather. One of the crucial shots on this course is the approach in to the green, but the rain and wind-chill of Tuesday was more reminiscent of April in Ireland and could mean that the greens could be more receptive than normal in today's first round.

"Before the rains came, the greens were pretty firm," acknowledged Woods. "You had to make sure you came in with the right trajectory and the right spin to hit the slopes. If you're wrong on both counts, then you're going to get into some spots where it is just extremely difficult to make par."

His voice leaves the impression that he would prefer the firmer, faster greens because he can cope with them better than anyone else. The forecast is for warmer, drier weather over the next few days, so he may yet get his wish.

Of course, it is far from a one-man race, even if there have been some local rumblings about the confined field: just 93 players tee-up, with no fewer than four players who have won on the US Tour this past year failing to get an invitation, which makes it arguably the least difficult of all the majors to win. Yet, the quality is such that Woods will have to bring his A-game to the exam if he is to become the history-maker.

Singh, the defending champion, is "ready to go". His form this season has been even more impressive than it was at this time last year. After losing in the first round of the world matchplay in Australia at the start of the year, he has reeled off 36 consecutive rounds of par or better in nine starts, has five top-five finishes on the US Tour and two wins on the European Tour.

"At this moment, my golf game is probably the best it has ever been," added Singh. While Woods has the slam in his head, Singh is attempting to become just the third player in the event's history to win back-to-back Masters. Jack Nicklaus and Nick Faldo are the only players to accomplish the feat.

The two Irishmen in the field are also gung-ho about their prospects. Darren Clarke, who limited himself to just four holes of practice in the heaviest of the rain on Tuesday, is in a better frame of mind than he has been for some time. This was reflected in the fact that he had his father, Godfrey, acting as caddie in last evening's pre-championship Par-3 competition.

Padraig Harrington, too, is relaxed and bullish about his chances. "I'm aiming for a top-four or five finish," remarked the Dubliner, who fine-tuned for the championship by playing a practice round yesterday in a cosy two-ball with three-time champion Nick Faldo.

Given that he has gone head-to-head with the two main protagonists already this year - losing to Singh in a play-off in Malaysia, and tying for second-place with Woods behind Thomas Bjorn in Dubai - then, you'd believe, anything is possible for Harrington this week.

As ever, though, the primary focus is on Woods, a player chasing his third consecutive win inside a month and, more pertinently, his fourth major in a row. If he adds the Masters to his wins in the US Open, British Open and US PGA, then he secures a place in history.