What's the story?

Woods (PGA Tour)

When it comes to pretournament talk for the 73rd Masters Tournament, there are three big ones.

- There's four-time Masters champion Tiger Woods, playing in just his fourth tournament since reconstructive knee surgery in June.

It's also the first major championship appearance since the surgery for the world's No. 1 player, who needs four more victories in majors to tie Jack Nicklaus' record of 18.

A victory this week would also move Woods into solo second place in Masters victories. Arnold Palmer also has four; Nicklaus leads with six.

- There's Irishman Padraig Harrington's bid for a third consecutive major championship victory, a feat that has been accomplished only twice -- by Ben Hogan and Woods -- since the Masters began.

- Then there's former No. 1 player Greg Norman, a three-time runner-up at Augusta National who is making his first appearance since 2002. Norman, 54, qualified by virtue of finishing tied for third in last year's British Open.

"Those are three good stories," said two-time Masters champion Ben Crenshaw.

So which is the hottest one?

"The quick buzz would be Tiger," Crenshaw said.

Most of the pros at Augusta National Golf Club on Sunday went with Woods, who made a Sunday appearance for the third consecutive year (he has finished second every year he has come on Sunday).

Mickelson (PGA Tour)

"It's Tiger, by miles," said Rocco Mediate, who lost to Woods in a playoff in June's U.S. Open, the last major Woods played in. "Obviously, he's going for Jack's thing (the major championship record), and so this is another one on the belt."

Three-time Masters champion Gary Player agrees with Mediate, but for a different reason.

"Golf is in a very precarious situation at the moment with the economy and sponsors, and renewal of sponsorships," Player said. "We've never ever in the history of golf needed a golfer as much as the Tour needs Tiger Woods right now.

"The (TV) ratings go up, as you saw at the tournament at Bay Hill last week (which Woods won)," Player added. "We need him to give golf the necessary boost it needs."

Woods, who has won five of his past nine PGA Tour events dating back to the start of the 2008 season, was also Steve Flesch's pick for the top story, with Harrington second and Norman third.

"Harrington's a grinder; he'll just wear you down," Flesch said. "He doesn't have a flair to his game where people are going to be excited to see Padraig play.

"But everything Tiger does is exciting," Flesch added. "The fact that he's coming (after surgery) ... I think if he doesn't win, he won't finish below second."

Harrington, who has won three of the past six major championships, wasn't at Augusta National on Sunday.

He played in the Shell Houston Open, closing with 77 to finish in a tie for 26th place.

Harrington has his backers when it comes to the top pretournament story.

"I think it's a tie between Tiger and Harrington," three-time Masters champion Nick Faldo said. "Both are pretty significant stories: Tiger going for a fifth jacket and Padraig for a possible three in a row. That's pretty exciting stuff." Brandt Snedeker agreed.

"I'd say they're pretty equal," he said. "Any time a player has the chance to win three majors in a row, that's very significant. That's a huge story this week.

"Tiger coming back for the first time in a major is, too," Snedeker said. "But I don't feel it's as big a story as it was because he won last week."

Jim Furyk thought for a while before giving his answer.

"It's close," he said. "I think Harrington should be noted, but in reality, I know Tiger coming back is the story because he's Tiger. The big story is Tiger being back, but Harrington should be as big a story."

The Norman story is more of an emotional one than the other two. The swashbuckling Norman was always a fan favorite among Augusta patrons, who also admired the grace he showed after losing the 1996 Masters to Faldo.

"I'm a big fan of Greg Norman's," Snedeker said. "I think 95 percent of the guys are excited to see him back out here playing again. It's going to be fun to be in the same locker room with him, to see an idol I grew up watching.

"I think he's going to have huge fan support this week, especially for all he went through here," Snedeker said. "For him not to have a green jacket is kind of a tragedy. Everybody's going to be pulling hard for him this week and wanting him to win."

Said Crenshaw of Norman: "I know he's relishing the opportunity to go back."

Norman played in the Shell Houston Open as a tune-up for the Masters. He opened with 71-69-70 before closing with 81 on Sunday and finishing tied for 70th.

Reach David Westin at (706) 823-3224 or david.westin@augustachronicle.com.