Tiger Woods mixes words of praise and caution for new world No1 Rory McIlroy ahead of Doral showdown So when asked if the 22 year-old had displayed any qualities in the Honda victory that he did not know about before, Woods was measured in his praise. "He did all the things you needed to do," he said here at Doral, ahead of Thursday's first round of the Cadillac Championship. Woods remains a man unmoved by the possibility, of a Masters for the ages next month. He, McIlroy, Lee Westwood and Phil Mickelson are all on upward paths, ready to peak to Augusta, but still he stays absorbed solely in his own game. Did he have a sense that this was the most exciting year in golf since 2000, when he started a streak of four major titles on the bounce and tore up every course he touched? "Well, I think every year is exciting for me," he replied, deadpan. It was an answer every bit as daft as it was disingenuous. After all, the last three years in Woods" world have been a touch thin in the excitement department, at least on the course, while turmoil has engulfed him away from it. But even at the age of 36, he appears to believe he is on the cusp on reviving his former dominance. The fruits of his labours with coach Sean Foley have become clearer, not least in the audacious five-iron that he struck to the 18th at Palm Beach Gardens on Sunday night. So, did he feel that he was on track for the Masters? McIlroy, aware that his billing as "the next Tiger" would only grow as Augusta approached, tried to play down such parallels. "I've never said that I want to be the next anyone," he said. I just want to be the first Rory McIlroy. However good that turns out to be. I'll try my best to win majors and to be the best player in the world. I've never set out to win 18 majors. I've always just wanted to win golf tournaments and to be No 1. I feel like I can accomplish a lot more. His appearance at Doral, in a field including every member of the world's top 50, marks his final event before the Masters. After the Honda drama, McIlroy's conviction that he can win has never been stronger. The way that I did it, with Tiger making the charge, it was almost more satisfying - knowing that I held up under pretty intense pressure when I needed to, having to play some smart and solid golf to finish off. Closing out tournaments just comes with experience. A man with more modest expectations this week is England's Paul Casey, making his first start since he dislocated a shoulder while snowboarding in January. "I heard a sound, felt the pain, and within a few minutes I couldn't move the arm," Casey said of the accident in Colorado. So I knew I had done something, although I'm not an expert on injuries. An hour after it came out of its socket, the shoulder went back in. The pain went from a nine or a 10 down to a one. But I had absolutely no clue how long a dislocation takes to repair.