The Masters 2013 Prediction: Tiger Woods Wins 15th Major At Augusta National Over Phil Mickelson and Rory McIlroy To Close On Jack Nicklaus Record

Apr 10, 2013 11:44 AM EDT

The saying that Tiger Woods is back has been going around the PGA Tour for weeks since the golfer won the Arnold Palmer Invitational and took back the number one ranking and now he is ready to truly prove it, as the Masters is set to get underway at Augusta National in Georgia.

Woods has won three times on tour this year and six times in the past 13 months, the most of any golfer and he now is back at number one after chasing down Rory McIlroy. Woods has looked like his old self again and he has a new girlfriend in Lindsey Vonn and he appears fully healthy for the first time in a number of years, fuelling his drive as many see him as the favorite at Augusta.

Woods has been stuck on 14 major titles since winning the US Open in a playoff in 2008 and the 37-year-old golfer has a chance to close on the major record of 18 with a win on Sunday. Woods went public with his relationship a couple weeks ago and has appeared at ease on the course, including in wins at the Famers Insurance Open and the WGC-Cadillac Championship before taking the Arnold Palmer Invitational for the eighth time, tying a record.

After dealing with knee problems for a number of years, Woods appears back to form and he is ready to take on Phil Mickelson and Rory McIlroy, who improved over the weekend at the Texas Open after having an awful start to the season. Woods has not won the Masters since 2005, but he has done it four times previously and has been a repeat winner, something Bubba Watson will try to do after taking the green jacket in exciting fashion last year.

Woods has been at his best at Augusta apart from last year when he finished 40th and he is expecting another solid tournament as he prepares for the first major of the year. The prediction here is for Woods and he likely will be able to relax for once as he is not trying to win his first tournament in a number of years and has been playing very well. Tiger will truly be back when he wins another major and that could very well be this weekend.

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