Tiger Woods: New ... but is he improved?
5. His Protoges
Not Himself: A successful Ryder Cup showing can spur a hot young
player on to win a major (see: Zach Johnson). Having
thrived in the crucible of the Cup, Anthony Kim, Hunter
Mahan, J.B. Holmes and other American talents are far
less likely to crumble in Tiger's presence with a
major in the balance.
His Old Self: Playing well in Louisville may have boosted the confidence of
Kim and Co., but that won't mean much when they find
themselves on the first tee at Augusta, shaking hands
with the greatest player ever. Beating the Man means
not turning into a spectator, and these guys have watched
Woods on TV way more than they've played him in person.More from GOLF.com
• 2009 PGA Tour Preview
• 2008 Year in Review
• Tiger Tracker: The latest news on Tiger Woods

