COUNTDOWN TO THE MASTERS: Tiger Woods Gets His Chance to Shine

Tiger Woods has heard a lot of clamouring recently, and for good reason.

At the moment, this golf legend is looking strikingly ordinary. Not only was he recently ousted in the first round by a 16th seed in Tucson, he still hasn't won a tournament since the epic breakdown of his personal life.

But Woods has an opportunity to remind his admirers that he is still the same golfer that won 14 Major Championships, and not the golfer who lost his confidence when he took a break from golf and never got it back.

That opportunity will be from April 7-10th when he competes in Augusta, Georgia, at the 2011 Masters Tournament.

Woods has won four Masters titles, his last coming in 2005. He hasn't won a major since 2008 when he won the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines.

There are critics who believe Woods's best golf is behind him. There are golf fans who harbor animosity for Woods for his arrogance and his off-the-course behavior, and who are delighted to see his fall from grace. Then there are non-golf fans who simply like to see a train wreck, and view Woods as a celebrity who deserved to have the rug pulled from under him.

At Augusta National Golf Club, Woods can silence those critics and dissenters, and win back the fans he may have lost.

All he needs to do is play the best golf of his life.

Woods's game has been slipping recently. There's no doubt about that. He can still drive the ball, but he's simply been off his game. This is not the same Woods of 2005 and 2006 who took home four majors in two years.

Unbiased golf experts all seem to agree that Woods has lost his confidence.

If there was ever a time for Woods to dig deep, it's now.

His life-long goal was to surpass Jack Nicklaus's career 18 major championships, but based on his recent performances, the chances of that happening are slim.

However, there's still someone who believes in Tiger Woods.

It's Jack Nicklaus.

I'm surprised that he has not bounced back by now, said Nicklaus today at the Honda Classic pro-am. He's got such a great work ethic. He's so determined to what he wants to do. I'm very surprised that he has not popped back. I still think he'll break my record.

Things have taken a downturn for Woods, and that's clear to everyone, even Woods. It's difficult, though, to discount the sentiment of Nicklaus, the greatest golfer to ever swing a club.

If the Golden Bear believes in Tiger Woods, maybe so should we.