Tiger Woods can be inspired by Pádraig Harrington revival

Probably one of the most interesting conversations this week was between Tiger Woods and Pádraig Harrington.

As we know Pádraig spectacularly ended his own slump in form in the US when winning the Honda Classic last month to register his first victory on the PGA tour since the USPGA in 2008 and his victory would have resonated deeply with Woods, who won the last of his 14 major championships, the US Open, that same year.

These days, Tiger is a man in crisis.

In his prime he was the real deal - one of the most recognisable faces in the world and the most celebrated athlete of his generation. His incredible competitiveness, his mental toughness and his work ethic established an “unbeatable aura” freely endorsed by his fellow players and the media alike.

At his best Woods used his superstar status to intimidate his opposition into playing on average, 0.8 more strokes per round, with players closer to the lead in the last round showing an even greater drop-off in performance.

Today, Woods’s invincible aura is gone or at the very least fading faster than the memories of the last time he was winning major championships for fun. His competition, all incredibly gifted players, have risen to the challenge and even surpassed him.

That is the only conclusion to be drawn nowadays from the greatest competitor of his generation. Now it seems he is the floundering captain of his own sinking ship weighed down by his own expectation as well as those of an obsessed nation. It’s sad watching the slow fade of a superstar. And that is why Tiger’s conversation with Pádraig, a man more than five years his senior, was so important. Harrington proved that winning is as much about the right mind-set as anything else.

His competitive world might have become a whole lot tougher but no one should doubt Tiger’s ability or tenacity.

Where once he was impenetrable and intimidating now his fellow competitors know he is mortal – but if he can just get himself back on that leaderboard regularly again, then players will start worrying about him once more.

And what of the tournament itself?

I was disappointed that Ernie Els couldn’t push on from his promising start. Five under par represents a good score for the first two rounds but with the leader nearly double digits ahead of him, he will have to force the pace a little over the next couple of days if he is to really contend tomorrow.

It is great to see Charlie Hoffman trying to keep the pressure on Jordan Speith.

A proven competitor, Hoffman’s motivation this week may well come from his recently deceased grandmother but this is new territory too for Hoffman and I will be interested to see if he can keep his composure over the next few days.

Jordan Speith’s performance to date has been nothing short of spectacular. His form leading up to Augusta, having won, finished second, and lost in a play-off in his three previous tournaments, suggested that he had the pedigree to do well but it is still hard to fathom his scoring given that this is just his second appearance at the US Masters.

Indeed it proves that last year’s lead in the same event going into the last round was no fluke.

Quite apart from the fact that Augusta National obviously suits him, the confidence he has demonstrated in his own ability over the opening two rounds has been a joy to watch and although there is still a long way to go, his form suggests that the distance he has already put between himself and his fellow competitors may already be too much for them to make up.

That said, Rory McIlroy found himself in a similar position in 2011 and collapsed spectacularly when trying to win his first major championship and with some lightening disruptions likely tomorrow, the possible round delays wont make his task any easier.

Crucially, Speith is not a one-dimensional player. He has the ability to work the ball - hitting whatever shape is required into the Augusta pins. At 21 years of age he is already also a proven winner, someone who also has the capacity to shoot very low scores such as the ones we have witnessed over the past couple of days.

So he is unlikely to fade away – especially if no one can exert any real pressure over the next few days but this now is his opportunity to win his first major championship – and that’s a big deal. Just ask Rory McIlroy.