AUGUSTA, Ga. — Tiger Woods at the Masters. It’s always compelling theatre, whether he wins — which he’s done four times, most recently in 2005 — or not. Woods tees off in Thursday’s first round at Augusta National with Spain’s Jon Rahm and China’s HaoTong Li at 11:04 a.m. ET. We’ll have hole-by-hole updates of Tiger’s round, so check back often. LEADERBOARD | TALES OF TIGER’S EQUIPMENT | TIGER FULL OF CONFIDENCE Tiger pre-round notes NEW PARTNERS: In his PGA TOUR career, Tiger has never been paired with Jon Rahm or HaoTong Li at a stroke play event That will change on Thursday. Of course, Woods and Rahm have had a recent encounter — at last fall’s Ryder Cup, when Rahm beat Woods 2 and 1 in Sunday Singles at Le Golf National in Paris. FIRST-ROUND POSITION: In Tiger’s 21 Masters starts, he’s been in the top 10 on the leaderboard after the first round just four times (1997, 1998, 2002 and 2010). He went on to win two of those times. The last time he won, he was 33rd after the first round in 2005, but shot himself back into the tournament with rounds of 66 and 65, ultimately beating Chris DiMarco on the first hole of the playoff. That remains the last time any eventual Masters champ has not been inside the top 10 after the first round. WATSON’S VIEW: Two-time Masters champ Tom Watson has no doubts that Tiger can win the green jacket for a fifth time this week. “I definitely think he can win the Masters,” Watson said during a Golf Channel interview. “Watching him swing from afar, he’s got it together. I fully expect him to be in the hunt.” PAR 3s, 4s, 5s: In his Masters career, Tiger is 28-over on the par 3s, 40-over on the par 4s, and 156-under on the par 5s. 82 LESSONS: Tiger Woods, with 82 career rounds at Augusta National, says he has “a pretty good little library in my head of how to play the golf course.â€� But it wasn’t just those competitive rounds in which he gained the knowledge. “Throughout the years, I also accumulated a lot of knowledge how to play it under different conditions, and playing practice rounds with guys who have won here a lot, who understand how to play it,â€� Woods said, “and then to be a part of the entire process of having to compete as they have evolved the golf course and trying to understand how to play it.â€� HISTORY AGAINST HIM: In each of his four Masters wins, Woods arrived at Augusta National that week having already pocketed at least one win earlier that calendar year. In 1997, he won the season-opening event at Kapaula. In 2001, he won twice — including THE PLAYERS Championship when it was held in March. In 2002, he won at Bay Hill. And in 2005, he had two earlier wins. Tiger’s most recent win, of course, was the TOUR Championship at the end of last season.
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