From the moment he walked head-on into the Masters Tournament, Tiger Woods should have had a big question mark hung around his neck.

What's up with me?

And after he hit the door at the back of the clubhouse late Sunday afternoon, he personally delivered the answer.

No idea yet.

Of all the story lines played out during the Masters, the Tiger Woods saga continues to confuse, delight, upset and begin debate on expectations where Woods is going from here on out.

For me, it was the most compelling aspect of the entire week, because in pro golf, Woods moves the needle like no other.

Wood didn't give us a clear idea of his direction, forward or backward or status quo, during four rounds at what used to be his comfy second home at Augusta National Golf Club. The four-time champion sizzled on Friday with a 6-under 66 that convinced everybody that Tiger was back in the zone - that once he had thrown his name into the mix and shown up on the leader board, he was just getting started on what would be another victory lap. He was confident and relaxed. He rammed home a birdie putt at the 18th just like the old days.

And then he came back on Saturday and was eight shots worse, a 2-over 74. He couldn't make a putt, and worse, couldn't hit a chip shot that made a difference. At the 18th, he missed the green and made a bogey, just like many days have been going for him, and for a while now.

He was totally different Sunday, when he once tied for the lead on the first nine, finished with a 67 and tied for fourth.

A tie for fourth at the Masters two years in a row. Last year, the Masters marked his return from self-imposed exile and his tie for fourth seemed to signal he was really back. It didn't turn out that way. So after Sunday, what will his rousing finish mean this time?

Tiger-watching is an obsession in many circles and after his performance at the Masters, that's probably not going to change. Tiger's going to have to change it. But the Masters was supposed to be the place where Tiger revealed his stripes. He would show us just what direction he was heading.

Does anybody really know now?

We probably need to reassess the value of assigning importance to what the Tiger Masters Meter reads. The indisputable truth is that Woods, once the most consistent winning machine in golf, remains in a drought, without a major victory on his side of the ledger in nearly three years and without a victory of any kind in almost 17 months.

His short game isn't helping him, especially his putting. He is accustomed to steering putts into the hole by sheer willpower. Right now, his willpower is being tested.