Tiger Woods is heading to the Masters confidently

Woods turned a precarious one-stroke lead entering Sunday's final round in the Arnold Palmer Invitational right into a five-stroke statement for his first PGA Tour win because the BMW Championship in September 2009. That victory came 8 weeks before any small car accident, at his home only miles because of this Bay Hill course, which turned into one of the primary sports scandals of all time. A Pandora's Box of past philandering and poor behavior opened for your world to find out, and Woods' reputation was permanently besotted. He won six tournaments earlier that year, however in the insular world of the sport he played, there were both whispers and shouts that the imperturbable assassin of Sundays never is the same.

After making a final putt through the day on 18, Woods doffed his cap, grinned wide and waved with a swell of cheers. With what was the only real poignant moment from the late afternoon came as Woods was greeted not by Arnold Palmer as is customary following this tournament but by the golf legend's manager, Alistair Johnston. Palmer had been come to a local hospital following a spike as part of his hypertension. Johnston hugged Woods and told him this news. Woods nodded. Johnston then told Yahoo! Sports that Palmer hasn't been feeling so well for a couple of days,but was thrilled to determine Woods' victory. Later, in a very short press conference, Johnston said Palmer can be held overnight knowning that his condition was improving.

There were a clear turning point in Woods' final round a moment of grave concern. Also it came early. For the second green, Woods mishit a 28-foot lag putt and left himself a difficult 5-footer. We were holding the putts he always used to make in final rounds. Especially on Sunday. Especially on this course on Sunday, when they have won three times for the 72nd green.

Even though the gallery and his caddie moved ahead to a higher tee, Woods prearranged the putt again devoid of the ball. He stared on the hole for the good five seconds. He then stormed off. So when he approached the 3rd tee, his eyes were wide and unblinking in shock. He looked spooked.

The following is in which the old Tiger would win control of his emotions and his game. This is the location where the new Tiger might spiral. Who would we have seen on Sunday? The person who entered this event 37-2 as he had the outright lead after 54 holes? Or the man who had lost control over his driver and couldn?¡¥t make the clutch putt each time a round relied on it?

But around the very next hole, up against a hard iron shot over water having a strong wind crossing from the fairway, Woods dropped the ball within five feet of the hole. He earned birdie to get that lost shot right back. On his walk to another tee, he discrete a tremendous breath of air.

When the rope birdied Nos. 4, 6, and 8 to end leading nine using a four-shot lead. Around the back, the true secret moment came for the 15th green, when playing partner Graeme McDowell a birdie putt and Woods had 20 feet just to save par. The four-shot lead might have dropped to 2 with three holes to play.