April 9 (Bloomberg) -- Tiger Woods may have become too good for his own good.

When the Masters Tournament starts tomorrow at Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia, Woods begins his quest to become the first to win all four of golf's modern major tournaments in the same year.

He's been ranked No. 1 in the world since June 2005; missed a 36-hole cut twice in the past 10 years; won a record $80 million; and tied Ben Hogan for the third-most wins in PGA Tour history. He has won seven of his past eight golf tournaments.

``If he doesn't win, it's viewed as a bad week,'' said Jim Furyk, the 2003 U.S. Open champion. ``For the rest of us, if we win two or three times in a year, we've had a great year.''

Woods, 32, has long contended that just winning one of golf's four modern majors -- the Masters, U.S. and British Opens or PGA Championship -- is the mark of a successful season. This year, he upped the ante. He said winning all four, a feat never accomplished in a single professional season, is ``easily within reason.''

He's asked about that at every tournament and hasn't backed down.

``He has created his own monster,'' said Arron Oberholser, playing in his third Masters. ``But the great thing about him is, and it's why he's so tough to beat, pressure doesn't affect him. If he's feeling it, he doesn't show it at all.''

Now that the Masters has arrived, Woods was asked if anything had changed.

``No,'' he said during a press conference yesterday. ``In order to win all in the calendar, you have to win here. Hopefully I can get it done this year and move on.''

Going for Five

``I don't know how hard it is for him, but that seems like a very hard feat,'' said Zach Johnson, the Masters defending champion.

If Woods doesn't put on his fifth Masters green jacket at the end of the tournament, the goal will be unobtainable for this season.

Woods certainly hasn't felt pressure from his competition.

Since 2006, he has won 18 U.S. PGA Tour events, while Top-10 ranked playersPhil Mickelson (6), Vijay Singh (3), Furyk (3), Adam Scott (2) and Ernie Els (1) have combined for 15 wins.

This year, the venues for the majors may help Woods accomplish his new goal.

Woods won this year's Buick Invitational for his fifth title at Torrey Pines in California. He'll return to the course for the U.S. Open in June. The British Open is at Royal Birkdale in northwest England; Woods finished third -- one shot away from reaching a playoff -- when it was last played there in 1998.

Came Close

Woods hasn't been so successful at Oakland Hills in Michigan. He lost three of his five matches there during the 2004 Ryder Cup, including his opening match when paired with Mickelson. Still, the biennial competition between golfers from the U.S. and Europe isn't a stroke-play event like the PGA Championship.

Golf's original Grand Slam, victories at the Open and amateur championships in both U.S. and Britain was achieved once, by Bobby Jones in 1930.

Woods came close to winning the modern slam, holding all four titles at once by winning the U.S. Open, British Open and PGA Championship in 2000 before taking the Masters in 2001.

Other golfers said Woods has something even more powerful than a history of success working for him this year: a flawless swing.

Changed Swing

Woods has been revamping his mechanics under new coach Hank Haney for the past two years. At last year's PGA Championship, which Woods won by two shots, the golfer acknowledged that he was standing slightly closer to the ball, producing a more upright swing and reducing wild shots.

``His swing is so tight,'' Oberholser said. ``He doesn't have to lean on his chipping and putting to carry him like he has in years past when he was struggling.''

While retooling his play off the tee, Woods said he was always able to rely on wedge shots and his putter to bail him out when his driver failed. Now, Woods said he's finally comfortable with all facets of his new swing. Others have noticed.

``When he's on his game, he's unbeatable,'' said Steve Stricker, the world's No. 3-ranked player.

While some golfers see Woods's physical skills driving his game, the real reason lies within him, said Butch Harmon, Woods's former coach.

``He has figured out everything,'' Harmon said in an interview. ``His work ethic on his golf swing, his work ethic in the gym, his mental toughness, his discipline, the way he budgets his time. On top of that, he probably has more talent than anybody that has ever played. Put it together and you have the greatest player that has ever played, and that is Tiger Woods.''

To contact the reporter on this story: Michael Buteau in Augusta, Georgia, at mbuteau@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: April 9, 2008 00:01 EDT