Golf:Tiger Woods might still the biggest name in golf but Ian Poulter is predicting the former world number one will not even come close to winning a fifth US Masters title this week.

Just a month ago Rory McIlroy described Woods as “playing like an ordinary golfer.” Now Poulter has added his view.

“I don’t think he’ll finish in the top five,” he said at Augusta. “I think at the minute there’s a couple of inconsistent shots. The shots he was hitting at Doral (Woods came 10th at the WGC-Cadillac Championship) they were very inconsistent. You can’t afford to hit shots like that round this golf course and get away with it.

“You have to rely on your short game an awful lot if that’s the case. You can never rule him out, can you, he has such an incredible record round this golf course. He’s won by plenty, he’s won it quite a few times, we’ve seen him hit the shots that he’s hit in various situations when he has put himself in trouble.

“He’s got one of the best short games in the world - that’s not going to disappear from him - and when he gets himself in a position where he’s close he generally holes putts at the right time. He hasn’t done it for a while, but I think that if he starts to hole the putts at the right time you are going to see the Tiger of old and that’s dangerous.

“But I don’t see it this week - I just don’t see it myself.”

Last year Woods ended a four-month break from the game following revelations about serial adultery with a fourth place finish at Augusta.

Poulter had forecast a top five finish on that occasion, but his opinion has changed after seeing Woods go “what, 18 months, two years” (actually just over 16 months) without a victory. If that was to end this Sunday with a 15th major Poulter said it would be “an incredible achievement.”

Poulter caused a stir three years ago when he said “I haven’t played to my full potential and when that happens it will be just me and Tiger.”

Twelve months ago they stood first and fifth in the world. Now Woods is seventh and Poulter 16th.