FORT WORTH, Texas -- The first time I covered the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial was in 1997 when it was known as the MasterCard Colonial, the best player in the world was Tiger Woods and I was the golf writer for The Associated Press. A lot has changed since then. For Tiger, the Colonial and me.

The story that week was that it would be the first time Woods and Fuzzy Zoeller crossed paths since Fuzzy made racially insensitive remarks following Tiger's 12-stroke victory in the Masters at the age of 21. Woods took a month off after that historic victory, then won the HP Byron Nelson, in which Zoeller didn't play, setting up Colonial.

Woods hits an approach shot at the 1997 MasterCard Colonial. (Getty Images)

"He's doing quite well, pretty impressive," Zoeller, known for his irreverent sense of humor, said Sunday evening after Woods' record-setting win at Augusta National. "That little boy is driving well and he's putting well," Fuzzy continued in remarks that aired several days later in a CNN report by the late Jim Huber.

"He's doing everything it takes to win," Zoeller said. "So, you know what you guys do when he gets in here? You pat him on the back and say congratulations and enjoy it and tell him not to serve fried chicken next year. Got it." Zoeller started to leave, then turned around and added: "Or collard greens or whatever the hell they serve."

On a Mother's Day when just about everyone associated with the Players -- from tour pros to volunteers -- wore pink to celebrate Breast Cancer Awareness Day, the closest Tiger Woods came to honoring the cause was the colorful energy drink he occasionally pulled from his golf bag. Apparently, Woods is in his own world when it comes to discussing his golf game as well.

Following a final-round 73 that included a dismal front-nine 40, he offered this stunning assessment:

"Just one of those things where Joe (LaCava) and I were talking about that on the front nine, I didn't really hit any bad shots, and all of a sudden, I had a bogey, a birdie and a double," Woods said.

Photo by Getty Images

LaCava is Woods' caddie. He also just might be the world's most patient listener. Then again, he is getting paid a lot more than most psychiatrists.

No bad shots? Did we hear that right? How about the sand wedge over the green on No. 1? How about the 9-iron from the middle of the fairway into the water on No. 4? How about the drive on the par-4 fifth? Or your tee shot on the par-3 eighth, both of which could barely be tracked on the computer screen by the PGA Tour's ShotTracker?

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. -- As the world continues to monitor Tiger Woods' widely talked about "process," perhaps this is one tournament to omit from the discussion. The 14-time major champion certainly hasn't played great at TPC Sawgrass this week, but then again, that's not saying much.

Since his lone win at the Players in 2001, Woods has just one top-10 finish in the event, a solo eighth in 2009. Barring something spectacular on Sunday, he won't add to that total after a Saturday 72 kept him in the middle of the pack of those playing the weekend.

But as he points out, he's not alone in not being able to master TPC Sawgrass. In fact, 19 different winners have won here the past 19 years, making it tough to use a litmus test for how anyone is playing.

"I think if you look at it as a whole, everyone who has played here, they have never been really consistent here," he said. "I mean, everyone, going from the time Jerry Pate won, no one has really contended here or been in contention 70, 80 percent of the time. Like some golf courses you get certain guys playing well there no matter what."

Related: The Tiger Woods timeline

How much of a struggle has it been for Woods at TPC Sawgrass? His Friday 68 was just the fourth time he's broken 70 at the Pete Dye course in his last 23 attempts. But as he has all week -- and all year for that matter -- Woods stayed upbeat about what he's been working on with swing coach Sean Foley.

"It's feeling a lot more comfortable out there," he said. "I'm hitting the shots, I'm shaping the ball again, and it's just trying to get the timing of the wind out there right now."

Woods' third round was relatively uneventful. With bogeys on No. 7 and No. 10, he fell back to even par before getting his first birdie on No. 11. He added a birdie at the difficult 13 and then parred in, barely missing birdie attempts on the final three holes.

"I played well today and didn't get anything out of that round," Woods said. "It was probably the most solid I've hit the golf ball all year actually."

That comment seemed to raise a few eyebrows, but a 72 under very breezy conditions and with a high number of difficult hole locations certainly isn't reason to panic.

"It was a great test," he said.

Woods' next test will be completing this event for the first time in three years. After that, he'll probably play next at the Memorial, a place where he's won four times. There, we should get a better feel about the status of his game, which has swayed from ordinary to start the year, to spectacular at his win in Bay Hill, to shaky at his last two starts.

Actually, about the only thing that has really been learned about Woods this week is that he's gone back to metal spikes in his shoes -- a change he made last week at Quail Hollow -- since his knee is "finally healthy enough." Then again, we've heard that one before too.

-- Alex Myers
Follow @AlexMyers3

(All photos: Getty Images)

While you were out playing golf this weekend, Tiger Woods was raising money for charity. And he was still having more fun than you.

Woods brought his annual Tiger Jam to Sin City this past weekend, with a star-studded lineup that included a poker tournament and concert. Believe it or not, this was his 15th annual Tiger Jam, and besides his shirt and the music of Jon Bon Jovi, there was nothing to complain about. Hear that haters? Nothing... To... Complain... About. I still await your comments though, because nothing short of the revelation it's actually Magic Eye artwork will allow me to appreciate that shirt.

Related: Tiger Woods, Phil Ivey and other Golf celebrity doppelgangers

I can even give Bon Jovi a pass since he's been a regular at the event over the course of it's 15 years. Sadly, there's no photos of the poker tournament to share, which cost a cool $10,000 to enter and featured such high-rollers as MC Hammer, Ben Lamb, Phil Hellmuth, and poker legend Doyle Brunson. Luckily there are photos of gold-medal skier Lindsey Vonn.

Hold your jokes until the end, but Tiger Woods is returning to Vegas, and for only $10,000 you can join him.

While much can be said of Tiger's well-publicized Vegas exploits, just as much can be said of his philanthropy, and the two will collide this weekend when he hosts "the weekend of your life!" at the Mandalay Bay. According to his website, he'll be hosting Tiger's Poker Night this Friday, April 27, which you can have a seat at and two nights in a suite at THEhotel at Mandalay Bay for the $10,000 entry fee.

Related: Tiger Woods, Phil Ivey and other Golf celebrity doppelgangers

The winner of the tournament will receive a foursome of golf and a putting lesson with Tiger Woods, as well as "Pro-Am spots at PGA TOUR events, rounds at exclusive golf courses across the country, unique Tiger Woods autographed memorabilia items and a Nike Golf custom club-fitting at "The Oven" in Fort Worth, Texas."

Think the other two golfers will be security detail?

Friday the 13th is supposed to be about bad luck, but 15 years ago April 13 did not fall on a Friday, and it proved to be one of the most memorable moments in golf history. Today marks the 15th anniversary of Tiger Woods triumphant introduction to The Masters, winning in his first ever attempt at Augusta National.

Related: The Tiger Woods timeline

For many, Tiger Woods' first green jacket symbolizes more than just his first major victory, which in-turn launched one of the greatest golf careers of all time. By winning the 1997 Masters, Tiger Woods became the youngest man to ever win at Augusta, and more importantly, the first black man -- and actually, the first non-white person altogether -- to win the famed tournament. But Tiger Woods didn't just win the 1997 Masters, he dominated by a tournament record 12 strokes, with a record final score of 18-under par -- just two of the 20 tournament records he set that week. His performance was so dominant in fact, that few people remember it was Tom Kite who came in second that year. And even fewer realize he scored a four-over-par 40 on his opening nine holes.

In honor of this monumental moment in golf history, here is ESPN's Sportscentury look back at Tiger Woods win at the 1997 Masters.

-- Derek Evers
Follow @DerekEvers

(Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images)

AUGUSTA, Ga. -- He needs "more reps" to "keep progressing" because he still fights the "old motor patterns."

Even if his performance in his 18th Masters appearance was surprising, the manner in which Tiger Woods explained was predictable.

The four-time champion birdied his final hole early Sunday afternoon as a consolation prize in a round of two-over-par 74, but his performance in the 76th Masters was by all accounts one of his poorest as he ended up T-41 with a 5-over 293 aggregate total. Both tied his career worst showing at Augusta National GC; he finished T-41 at 293 in his Masters debut as an amateur in 1995. As a professional, Woods previously had not finished worse than T-22 in 2004.

AUGUSTA, Ga. -- He talked like he'd simply been denied, but it sounded a lot like denial.

Tiger Woods got nothing going in the third round of the Masters Saturday, playing Augusta National GC like it was Olympic Club, that is, making pars like it was a U.S. Open. Except that he needed birdies, to not only erase the numbing frustration of Friday's 75, but also to re-insert himself into contention on a layout he knows perhaps better than anyone in the field.

Photo by Getty Images

Instead, Woods scraped out a respectable 72, but at three-over 219, he didn't move much on so-called moving day. In fact, when Woods two-putted at 18 for his fourth straight back nine of par or higher at Augusta, he remained exactly where he started the day, eight behind the leaders.

His 219 total ties his highest 54-hole aggregate score from 2004 and '07.

(Tiger Woods kicks his club in frustration. Photo: Getty Images)

AUGUSTA, Ga. -- Now even Tiger's body language is unprintable. He walked with the reluctant gait of a man who'd finished his last meal with the warden. He hid his face in his cap. He dropped a 9-iron that had failed him, and then, to punish it, he kicked it. Only five days ago, Tiger Woods was the old Tiger Woods. Today, he was just old.

Or do you have another way to explain it? The most consistent ball-striker of our era now suffers moments when he has no idea which way or how far the thing will go. He's 36 years old now with body parts that have been hard at work since that Mike Douglas Show 34 years ago. Knees go. Tendons fray. Healing happens, yes it does, but it happens in weeks, not days, in years, not months.