Tiger Woods a defending champion or Masters afterthought in 2020?

To emphasize how this November Masters is so different, consider this: The defending champion in the 84th edition of this major golf championship is largely an afterthought.

Understandable, perhaps, if the 2019 champion were Mike Weir or Trevor Immelman or Danny Willett. But the man who donned the green jacket at the last gathering at Augusta National is Tiger Woods.

Yes, that Tiger Woods, who claims five Masters among his 15 major titles.

The Masters begins Thursday at Augusta National with Woods almost lost amid the avalanche of excitement surrounding Bryson DeChambeau, Dustin Johnson, Justin Thomas, Jon Rahm and the posse of young bombers who are reshaping how the game is played.

The oddsmakers list Woods, closing in on his 45th birthday, at 42-to-1 — a number that sounds reasonable considering recent performances. But isn’t that what they said last year?

“Do I expect to contend?” Woods asked, repeating a reporter’s question. “Yes, I do.”

To emulate those late-in-career performances of Jack Nicklaus, Fred Couples or Bernhard Langer or to produce an encore of his 2019 magic, Woods needs to discover some consistency. Since the PGA Tour resumed competition after the coronavirus outbreak halted play in March, his best performance is six starts is a tie for 37th place.

But what happened in 2019 stirs the echoes in his hall of memories.

“Just trying to hang in there, trying to make a dent in the lead,” he said of the final round. “Frankie (Francesco Molinari) had control of it, and then No. 12 happened and everything flipped. A few guys hit the ball in the water there. I didn’t.”

He fashioned a strong finishing kick last year with birdies at 13, 15 and 16, and, he said, “I still get chills thinking about it.”

Woods prepared for this year like he did in 2019, seeking to perfect a high draw off the tee. Plus, he said, “My body is feeling better than last year, so it’s a little easier to hit those shots. Hopefully this year I’ll be as consistent as I was last year. ... I was able to hit a lot of really good iron shots and I putted great.”

That was then. This is now.

Golf Channel analyst Brandel Chamblee talked about Augusta National being a “great stage for Hail Marys” and cited improbable triumphs by champions past their prime who arrived at the Masters with their games in tatters.

“You might argue that what Tiger did last year was a bit of a Hail Mary,” Chamblee said. “Tiger Woods has won here five times. But can he do it with less (clubhead) speed than he had last year? Less accuracy? Less proficiency going into the greens.”

Chamblee added that Woods’ putting has hit rock bottom, saying, “Those are not small hurdles to get over.”

Countered fellow analyst Justin Leonard: “There are three modern players where it doesn’t matter what the state of their game is. When they ... drive down Magnolia Lane, it’s tonic. Those three players are Fred Couples, Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods. I don’t think it matters the state of (Woods’) game. ... You can’t ever count him out.”

Rahm, ranked No. 2 in the world and one of those whose recent performances have seized the spotlight from the defending champion, agreed.

“Phil and Tiger can simply just turn up, come here to Augusta National, and play good golf,” Rahm said.

The lack of consistency has been Woods’ enemy.

“I haven’t put all the pieces together at the same time,” he said. “I haven’t played a lot, obviously. But it’s been gearing up for major championships and trying to understand what we have to deal with (with the pandemic). ... I just haven’t put all the pieces together, and hopefully that will be this week.”

Can he?

“It can be done,” Woods said.

Answers start coming Thursday and recent history — the 2019 Masters, for example — shows that overlooking Tiger Woods often is a mistake.

Masters TV details

Thursday. 1–5:30 p.m., ESPN

Friday: 1–5:30 p.m., ESPN

Saturday: 1-5 p.m., CBS

Sunday: 10 a.m.-3 p.m., CBS

Masters 2020 odds

The top 10 favorites in Augusta, according to VegasInsider.com

Bryson Dechambeau (8/1)

Dustin Johnson (8/1)

Jon Rahm (10/1)

Justin Thomas (12/1)

Rory McIlroy (13/1)

Xander Schauffele (15/1)

Brooks Koepka (18/1)

Hideki Matsuyama (25/1)

Patrick Cantlaey (25/1)

Tyrrell Hatton (27/1)