Despite departing the BMW Championship with 11+ on his scorecard last weekend, Tiger Woods is showing subtle signs he could contend at this year's Masters, according to Joe Molloy.
Molloy was hosting this week's Golf Weekly podcast and made the case for Woods seriously challenging at a major again soon after watching every shot of his final round at last week's tournament.
Although the five-time Masters winner was far behind Jon Rahm and Dustin Johnson who battled it out in a play-off on Sunday night, he carded three birdies in a one-over-par final round.
"He was really good," Molloy told Nathan Murphy, Fionn Davenport and Peter Lawrie on this week's podcast.
"I'm telling you there's something there with Woods. So there were two or three drives where the club gets stuck behind him and it goes a mile right. He always has them in his locker but the number of good shots Woods hit.
While Molloy admits the putter was "a bit cold" for the 44-year-old at Olympia Fields last weekend, he argued that could all change when he goes to a course he knows as well as Augusta National.
"He misread a couple, but I was thinking, going around the Augusta greens, which he knows like the back of his hand, he'll know the way every putt breaks. And he'll ramp up the putting practice, I'd think, in advance of the Masters.
"Honestly, I mean you can shoot me down as he departs with an 11 over... but the last two Sundays I've watched every shot he's hit; Tiger's playing secretly very, very well."
While Lawrie did agree that Woods is swinging the club well, he was also quick to pour cold water on the idea that the 15-time major winner was in similar form to when he won the Masters last year.
"His body language is atrocious though," Lawrie exclaimed of the problem he sees with Woods.
"I'm telling you, there's something there with Woods..."🏌️♂️ @MolloyJoe reckons Tiger could be in contention at a major again soon. Meanwhile, @PeLawrie isn't convinced by Woods' "atrocious" body language 😓 @NowTVIreland @GolfWeeklyOTB pic.twitter.com/nr5UArwL7J
— Off The Ball (@offtheball) September 3, 2020
"He's like a guy who is out there playing in a Pro-AM that doesn't want to be there. That's what it comes across as to me anyway.
"Just what he's doing there is no happiness in the man at all," Lawrie added.
"There are no jovial [signs] even with his playing partners or his caddie. When he came back and won the Masters it was a likable side of Tiger Woods, he seemed to be more jovial.
"He seemed to be chatting to people, more approachable even to commentators and interviewers and stuff like that but now he seems to be growling at anybody and everybody who is even close to him and that's what I don't like about Tiger Woods at this moment."
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