Why Tiger Woods will/won't win the 2019 PGA Championship

Tiger Woods is back...really back. He's a major champion again. That means everyone else can once again step aside and watch the dominance resume.

Not so fast.

Sure, Woods' victory at the Masters solidified his comeback, but posting back-to-back major victories is difficult. It's maybe even harder for a 43-year-old who is still not 100 percent healthy.

Regardless, all eyes will be on Tiger at Bethpage's Black Course for the 2019 PGA Championship this weekend. So why not look at both sides of the coin in Woods' attempt to win major No. 16.

Why Tiger will win the PGA Championship

Let's start with momentum. And Woods certainly has it after winning the Masters. It wasn't easy, and he had to outshoot outputt, outthink and outlast the likes of Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka, Xander Schauffele, Jason Day and Francesco Molinari to win his first major tournament since 2008.

Passing that test, at his age and while trying to figure out if he was actually capable of doing it again, was a statement that Woods still not only has the mental approach down but also that his elite physical form is still in play. With that comes intimidation, to just about every other golfer in the field this weekend. Tiger is again on the hunt — and confident he can make it two in a row.

After all, he won the 2002 U.S. Open at Bethpage — the only other time Woods won the first two majors of the season. Coincidence? Maybe. Sure, that was a long time ago when Woods was head and shoulders above the rest of the game, but it should still matter. The Black Course is brutal, even for the best, but Tiger has tamed it once, and now that his confidence has been renewed, one would think he can certainly do it again.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, Woods is rested — and seemingly raring to go. He has not played since winning at Augusta in mid-April. Tiger has had time to prepare both mentally and physically. He'll try to maintain his status as the PGA Tour's top performer when it comes to greens in regulation work, something that will be at a premium on Bethpage's elevated and difficult greens.

It won't be easy, but Woods is putting himself in position to continue the resurgence.

Why Tiger won't win the PGA Championship

It's been 17 years since Woods won the first two majors of the season. That's quite a while — even for a golfer in his superstar prime. But we already mentioned that.

Let's touch on why it might be even harder for Woods to do this year. 

Yes, Tiger should be well-rested for the event and prepared for the grind and pressure that comes with trying to win a major. But there is no guarantee the physical part of his game will hold up. With that, we mean his back. It was not an issue at the Masters, but that doesn't mean it won't be this week.

Depending on the hole and pin placement, Bethpage can be more unforgiving than Augusta National. Woods has done well there in the two previous majors it hosted (T6 and a victory), but this version of Tiger likely will need to dig deep and use his experience and smarts to get around the Black Course to stay in contention. Things went right more often than not for Woods at the Masters, but what happens if he struggles out of the gate or must endure a rough stretch? When does it become too taxing for him to handle, and will the doubt that was there prior to the Masters creep in again?

Finally, Tiger might be on the prowl, but there are plenty of others who are eager to hunt him down. Young stars like Koepka, Schauffele and Jon Rahm are just a few who play with an amazing amount of confidence and will up their antes to claim a major title — not to mention the likes of Molinari or Tommy Fleetwood, who fear no one around the globe. And then there's DJ, the No. 1 player in the world and poised to stay at that spot - preferably as the PGA Championship winner.

One thing we do know: Watching Woods at Bethpage continue his pursuit of Jack Nicklaus' record of 18 major titles should be great theater.