It's harder than ever for Woods to win at Augusta National, but he'll wear the green jacket again

The par 5s weren't pushovers for him last week, either. Sure, he eagled the 15th hole on Thursday by chipping in, but he parred it every other day. He had two birdies and a bogey at the 13th; only one birdie at the eighth; and played the second in even par. Overall, he was only four under on the par 5s, way below his usual average.

And Tiger has had nothing but trouble with the lengthened 17th and 18th holes. He made remarkable recoveries out of the trees at the 18th Friday and Saturday. Give him the bogeys (or doubles) that most players would have made from those spots, and he wouldn't have finished as close as he did.

Distance and trees have made it tougher for Woods, but he blamed a misfiring putting stroke for his lack of low scores last week. Last year it wasn't Tiger-proofing that made things difficult but rather a perfect storm of conditions -- firm-and-fast greens and fairways, cold temperatures and gusting winds.

So yes, the changes to Augusta National have made it harder for Woods to run away with the Masters, but no, the course is not impervious to his game.

The funniest line Woods uttered all week came after the tournament was over. Asked about the Grand Slam hoopla that followed his mentioning it as a possibility earlier this year, he said, "I learned my lesson there with the press. I'm not going to say anything."

But Tiger was right. The Grand Slam is possible. For him, and no one else. He has already won four majors in a row. There's no reason to think he can't do it again. But there's a fine line between winning and coming close -- a putt here, a photographer's click there, a gust of wind here, an unfavorable draw there. Woods knows all too well how fickle golf can be, and how many things have to go his way to slam grandly.

Most of all, he knows what it takes to win a Grand Slam. Winning the Masters, for starters, which is no longer a cinch for Woods. But he'll have more chances, and he'll win more green jackets. Augusta National isn't Tiger-proof, and the Grand Slam is within his reach ... just not until next year.