Tiger Woods stood on the seventh green at Augusta National, legs crossed and propped up on his putter, as a V-shaped line of mowers headed back down the fairway like a flock of geese.
He seemed intrigued by this routine bit of maintenance, staring at those whirring machines for the longest time. Then again, Woods is rarely on the course at this time of day for a practice round, with the sun setting and many of the patrons already headed for home.
Yep, these are unusual times for the four-time Masters champion.
Even so, one thing hasn't changed. Sure, Rory McIlroy is going for a career Grand Slam, Bubba Watson hopes to claim the green jacket for the third time in four years, and Jordan Spieth seems on the verge of a breakthrough victory, but Woods remains the most compelling figure at the first major of the year.
"The game is better when Tiger Woods is around," said old pal Mark O'Meara, who joined Woods to play nine holes late Monday afternoon.
Woods normally practices early in the morning at Augusta, but his surprise appearance showed just how much has changed — and hasn't changed — since he stepped away from the game in early February after some dismal performances, saying he wouldn't return until he was ready to contend again.
This was the first chance for the public to check out the state of his game, and it was hard to get a read on whether he can actually making a run at his 15th major championship. There were some brilliant shots. There were some ugly shots. Sometimes, they came one after the other, like the dicey downhill putt from the fringe at No. 9 that rolled 40 feet past the cup. Of course, he knocked the comebacker right in the hole for would have been a brilliant par save if they had actually been keeping score. They won't start doing that until Thursday.
In the meantime, Woods was encouraged. "It's been a process," he said, "but I'm on the good side now." Despite his struggles, Woods still casts a one-of-a-kind aura over the home of the Masters.
Masters a great chance for Indian golf: lahiri
Anirban lahiri has aroused the interest and curiosity of almost the entire golfing world. Hailing from the world's second most populous nation and coming with a record of four wins in 12 months, two of them in co-sanctioned events, his rise to world no. 34, had led to questions about golf in India, his own growth chart and of course what his performance could mean for the game back home.
Playing his fourth Major but the first Masters - he has played at the British Open and PGA earlier on - lahiri admits, "It's obviously been one of those things that I have wanted to do, to be here ideally inside the ropes, where I find myself this year."
"I think this is obviously one of those events that growing up as a kid, anyone who is playing golf or has watched golf, followed golf, associates the sport with and associates history with, and I am no different. So it's a very exciting time in my career for me, great opportunities and really excited to be here." lahiri said.