Tiger Woods not worried about major drought

As much as Tiger Woods yearns to win golf tournaments, he also has a patient side, one that tells him his goals are still in reach at age 37.

“It took Jack (Nicklaus) awhile to get to 18 (major championships), all the way until he was 46 years old,” Woods said Tuesday during a news conference at Augusta National Golf Club. “So there’s plenty of opportunities for me.”

Woods, stuck on 14 since the 2008 U.S. Open, could have roughly three dozen chances to reach Nicklaus’ record between now and when he turns 46. They begin Thursday when he starts his 19th Masters Tournament.

One person who also counsels patience is Nicklaus, who won the Masters six times – and he isn’t backing off his frequent claim that Woods will break his record.

“I’ve said it and I continue to say it: I still expect him to break my record,” Nicklaus said Tuesday. “I think he’s too talented, too driven and too focused.”

Woods will stride to the first tee at Augusta as the No. 1-ranked player in the world for the first time since the 2010 tournament. He has won six times in 13 months, and the swing changes he has made with coach Sean Foley appear to be paying off.

Foley doesn’t consult with Woods on putting, but Woods is putting as well as ever, which is how he stuck daggers into the hopes of contenders before 2010.

Woods won in his first professional start at Augusta and claimed four green jackets in nine years. However, he’s gone winless in the Masters since 2005.

If he’d been told after that Masters that he would still not have a fifth victory in seven attempts, “I wouldn’t have been happy with that,” Woods said Tues­day. “I’ve been in the mix, but I haven’t gotten it done.”

Despite personal problems, injuries and swing changes, Woods still found a way to contend at Augusta while he was foundering almost everywhere else. He has finished sixth or higher in six of the seven years since his last victory, including three top-three finishes.

Last year’s tie for 40th was his worst finish in the Mas­ters as a pro. Given his performance the past two seasons on the PGA Tour, that seems an aberration.

Life at home is good, with an amicable custody situation with ex-wife Elin Nordegren for their two children and a new girlfriend in Olympic skier Lindsey Vonn.

“Life is about having a balance, and trying to find equilibrium,” Woods said. “I feel very balanced.”

Said Nicklaus: “I think if he wins here, it would be a very large step towards regaining the confidence. If he figures it out here, it will be a great boost to him.”