Curtis On Tiger: "I didn't think he was going to be a big part of the picture anyway come the weekend"

That was Curtis in response to questions about losing Tiger on next week's Masters ESPN Thursday/Friday telecast, but it was the exchange between Paul Azinger and Strange which proved more entertaining.

From the transcript of Thursday's call:

PAUL AZINGER:  I'll just add to that.  I shared this the other day, but the real irony here is that he's arguably the most fit golfer who has ever played the game, and now he's kind of at the mercy of an unfit body.  Maybe not an unfit body but a body that's breaking down.

But Tiger has ‑‑ I think he has ‑‑ his issues are going to be as much emotional as they are physical, and let's face it, he's had some physical issues, whether it just be his health or his body but he has not hit the ball very well and sometimes because you don't feel well, you don't hit the ball well.  There's probably not one player that would have said, going into the Masters, I wish I hit it like Tiger Woods.

But he's still the favorite to win the tournament, because he's still the best player.  I guarantee you, at age 38, there's still plenty of people that wished they hit it like Jack Nicklaus and there's a big difference in where they are at age 38 in any opinion health‑wise and ball‑striking‑wise, and that's a big difference.

I got sick when I was in the prime of my career, and Tiger is a little bit past his prime.  I was out for six months or so, and I tell you what, I lost my edge, and it was nice to be at home.  I was the kind of guy, I played with a chip on my shoulder.  Tiger plays with a chip on his shoulder a little bit for whatever reason, and as Curtis said, his challenge will be, how self‑motivated is he going to be.

You know, his dad said, when Tiger was an amateur, Tiger Woods will win 14 majors.  Well, you know, he's won 14 majors.  I don't know why Earl didn't say 19, but he said 14.  Who knows, maybe that's something that's ‑‑ well, I did what my dad said.  I'm just saying, there's a lot going on here beyond just the physical.  And as Curtis said, it's going to come from within, but he wasn't exactly hitting it great going out, either.  So we'll see what happens.  

CURTIS STRANGE:  He has not hit it well in years, Paul, you know that.  So elaborate on what Paul is saying, it's so true, we have all gone through this.  Every male in America goes through this.  When you're 38 years old, your kids are getting older, he's a single dad, trying to be a good dad.  When they look at you and say, "Don't leave, Daddy," let me tell you something, that pulls at your heart.  And you're on the road, you want to be home; you're home, you want to be on the road.  It's an issue for everyone, and he's at that age and his kids are at that age, that it's tough to keep your focus and keep that drive and keep that self‑centered attitude that you need to have.

And you know, everybody goes through it.  Nicklaus admitted it, all of them.  And that's why it gets tougher as you get close to 40.