Changing of the guard

BEFORE this year's US Masters even started, there was the usual commentary and analysis from golf experts and pundits centred around a handful of possible winners in both young and more experienced players, and whether four-time winner and former world number one Tiger Woods would make an appearance. Woods, who won his first US Masters in 1997 at the age of 21 and went on to win three more in 2001, 2002 and 2005, has been in self-imposed exile since The Phoenix Open earlier this year, when he shot an 82 during the second round to miss the cut in his first tournament of the year.

Woods did manage to tee it up at Augusta National Golf Club, and while the 39-year-old may not have won a major for almost seven years, it is always difficult to completely write him off at a major championship. What was gratifiying to s…