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Liguori: What The World Will See From Tiger At Augusta Remains A Mystery

By Ann Liguori
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AUGUSTA, Ga. (CBSNewYork) -- All eyes were on Tiger Woods on Monday when the 39-year-old made a late-afternoon appearance at the practice area in preparation for his 20th Masters, which starts Thursday.

The four-time champion's first stop was the chipping area, where he first adjusted his ear phones before hitting to a variety of targets. Mark O'Meara, who won the Masters in 1998 and used to be Woods' Isleworth, Florida neighbor, greeted Tiger with a big hug and later joined him on the course. Former swing coach Sean Foley approached Woods on the range to say hello.

Last year, Tiger missed the Masters for the first time as a professional due to lingering injuries and surgery to repair a pinched nerve in his back.

Woods didn't announce his intentions to play in this year's tournament until this past Friday when he took to Twitter. The second his participation was made official, the buzz that only Tiger can bring to a championship escalated and conversation about the status of his game elevated.

The Masters will be Woods' first tournament since withdrawing in the first round of the Farmers Insurance Open on Feb. 5. At that time he said he "couldn't activate his glutes." Never mind that he was 15-over-par in the 47 holes he had played in 2015, prompting questions as to whether or not he was struggling with chipping yips.

In fact, to say that Tiger has struggled since returning to tournament play last summer is an understatement, as he has amassed three missed cuts, two withdrawals, 17th place out of 18 in his Hero World Challenge and a tie for 69th.

When Tiger called Arnold Palmer prior to the Arnold Palmer Invitational in March to tell him he wasn't playing, he said he had put a lot of time and work into his game and was making strides but wouldn't return until his game was "tournament ready" and he could "compete at the highest level."

Martin Kaymer, last year's U.S. Open champion, was asked on Monday if he could ever imagine what it must be like to be Tiger Woods right now. Kaymer answered: "To a certain extent, but who really knows what is going on in his head? I hope he's happy. I hope he's fine. I hope he will play this week. But what would bother me a lot is all the speculations. You don't have a choice; you will read about it somewhere, so mentally it must be quite exhausting and we know how important the mental part is in golf."

Perhaps Paul Azinger said it best when he was quoted as saying "With Tiger (and Phil Mickelson), what we're looking for now are flashes of brilliance. We're looking for reminders of what they used to be, not of who they are now."

And regardless if Woods, a 14-time major winner, plays with glimmering moments of his old brilliance or struggles like an amateur, it's sure to be compelling theater.

If Woods and Mickelson struggle, there are plenty of others who are more than capable of dominating the story lines. Bubba Watson is looking to defend his title and win this third Green Jacket in four years, while 21-year-old Jordan Spieth, who tied for second last year, is as hot as can be and hoping to win his first major championship. World No. 1 Rory McIlroy is hoping to complete a career grand slam and win his third straight major, while Kaymer loves the challenging conditions at Augusta National and is certainly capable of winning, despite his best finish in this tournament being a tie for 31st last year. Dustin Johnson, Matt Kuchar, Patrick Reed and Jimmy Walker, to name a few, could also make some noise this week.

The golf world is happy that Tiger Woods is back and although the status of his game remains one huge mystery, one thing is for sure, his every move will be under the microscope and his every shot will be analyzed by many.

Follow Ann on Twitter at @AnnLiguori

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