Can Tiger Woods win the Masters?

There was an interesting debate on Sydney radio this morning - whether the new Tiger Woods would be a better or worse golfer.

Oddly to me, the two professional sportsmen on the show - Triple M's The Grill Team - thought he'd find it hard to cope without the mistresses and extravagant lifestyle.

And if I might paraphrase Stuart MacGill, he seems to think the lifestyle was an exotic escape from the rollercoaster ride of the sporting arena. He also hinted that if Shane Warne didn't lead his exotic lifestyle, he wouldn't be the same standard cricketer. Mark Geyer agreed that familiarity was important for consistency in sport.

Dare it be suggested that a nagging wife is not conducive to good results.

Then there is the counter-argument: Without all those distractions, good or bad, there would be more time to focus on golf - golf would be the distraction from all those horrible things happening outside the sporting arena.

If, as has been reported, Tiger Woods has been training 15 hours a day, he'll be itching to get back into the competitive arena. He knows and likes the course. And remember all those people who discounted him in his first tournament back from injury. Many will still remember the long putt he sank to silence his critics.

You don't have to be a fan of the man, but as punters, we need to respect his golfing ability.

A few months ago, before the media circus, I argued that Tiger was a bad bet at even money - in short, chances of him winning more than half the events he enters are minute, which means he's generally under the odds each time he steps onto the golf course.

Now, however, at $5, he's worth thinking about!