Can the Blue Monster finally cure Tiger Woods?

Stop me if you’ve heard this before: This week’s stop on the PGA Tour is a perfect tournament for Tiger Woods to end his 18-month winless streak.

The Tour visits the Blue Monster at Doral for the WGC-Cadillac Championship, which features a stellar field that includes all of the world’s top 50. But as usual, all the talk is about Tiger, who says the pressure isn’t mounting on him to win.

As Woods changes his swing, he has failed to win on the PGA Tour since the BMW Championship in September 2009. He won the JBWere Australian Masters in December 2009 as scrutiny about his personal life increased in the wake of his auto accident outside his home. Woods said his problem is consistency, and he dismissed the idea that he’s under more pressure now.

All of that is new to Woods at Doral, where he has won three times, finished second once and finished two shots back in another appearance.

As Woods changes his swing, he has failed to win on the PGA Tour since the BMW Championship in September 2009. He won the JBWere Australian Masters in December 2009 as scrutiny about his personal life increased in the wake of his auto accident outside his home.

“It’s still the same,” Woods said. “I still get asked plenty of questions about winning whether I was winning or not winning. Still got to do press conferences and everything is still the same. The only difference is I just haven’t won tournaments.”

Still, if Tiger doesn’t win this week, the pressure will no doubt intensify. Why? Tiger has won the WGC-Cadillac six times in his career — two shy of Sam Snead’s mark for most wins of a single PGA Tour event (Greater Greensboro Open). Just one of those have come since the event made Blue Monster its home, but Tiger also won the Ford Championship at Doral twice. Combined, he’s 100 under par, with 25 of 28 rounds better than par at Doral in his tour career.

In seven career starts in PGA Tour events at Doral, Woods has never finished outside the top 10. He won the last two full-field events at Doral in 2005 and 2006, then captured the first WGC event played on the Blue Monster in 2007. He followed up with top-10 finishes the next two years and even had a runner-up to Ernie Els at Doral in 2002. Overall Tiger has won three times at Doral, finished second once and finished two shots back in another appearance. Woods, incidentally, will be paired with Phil Mickelson and Graeme McDowell. for the first two rounds

Woods is at 10/1 on Bodog but isn’t the favorite – new world No. 1 Martin Kaymer is at 9/1. The German plays for the first time since ascending to the top spot at the WGC-Match Play two weeks ago when he finished runner-up. Kaymer finished tied for third here last year, his best finish in three tries.

McDowell (14/1) should be a threat this week. Capped off a T6 at the Honda last week with a bogey-free 64. Polished off a T6 here last year with a bogey-free 66. He leads the PGA Tour in adjusted scoring average, ball-striking, sand saves, the all-around and bogey avoidance.

Nick Watney (20/1) also should be in contention. He has four top 10s to start 2011. He ranks second on TOUR in adjusted scoring average, fifth in birdie average, first in scrambling and second in bogey avoidance. Opened his solo second here in 2009 bogey-free 15-under on first 46 holes.

Ernie Els (40/1) has struggled since last summer, with just one Top 10 on the PGA Tour since. Else ended a two-year victory drought on the PGA Tour here last year with a 4-stroke victory over fellow South African Charl Schwartzel. There might not be a better course for Els to regain his stateside stride: He’s on an eight-round streak of par or better at Doral, and 30 of his last 37 rounds at the course have been at par or better.

Schwartzel (28/1) is a good long-shot pick. His putter is on fire right now (27.88 putts per round in Europe, 28.50 in two PGA Tour starts) and he has five top 10s in six starts in Europe. He was solid at the Honda last week, finishing T14 while breaking 70 in three of his rounds.

Bill Haas (35/1) has been very consistent this year. Outside of a first-round Match Play exit, he’s been great in 2011, finishing top 30 in each of his five starts, including four top 12s. He went T6 in his only start at Doral, last year.

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