The Scot suffered a slump in 2003 but bounced back to win in Singapore in March.

Here he tells BBC Sport of his chances of a breakthrough at the Masters.

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Why is the Masters so special?
It's just like no other tournament. The greens are always superb and the crowds are great. I really enjoy going to the Masters and just soaking up the unique atmosphere.

What sort of player does well at the Masters and how is your game suited to the course?
A lot depends on the weather conditions, and the greens are always tough so it suits the putters well.

I've gained a lot of experience over the years at the Masters so hopefully I can use that to my advantage.

Last year's majors threw up some quirky winners - how much hope does this give you that there is a "big one" still out there for you?
Well, I'd like to think I can still win a major tournament. I've done pretty well in the US Open, and the Open Championship is in my home town of Troon this year. So I should have as good a chance as anyone on that course.

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Is Tiger Woods no longer the force he once was? Or is he still the hot favourite at Augusta?
Without doubt, Tiger is still the best player in the world and I would still rank him as the favourite for Augusta - after all he's won it three times already so there's no reason why he can't do that again.

Putting is notoriously difficult at Augusta - how is your current putting form?
Augusta is tough around the greens but I think my putting is ok at the moment. I've been doing quite a bit of putting practice, as well as working on all the other aspects of my game.

You were in inspired form during the Ryder Cup in 2002 - how difficult is it to translate this to strokeplay tournaments?
The Ryder Cup is just a totally different event. I was surprised at the crowd reaction when I was playing which really lifted me. You don't really get that type of atmosphere at other tournaments.

I really enjoy matchplay - I like the one-on-one competition - and it would be great if I could recreate that kind of form at all events.

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How happy are you with your fitness/back problems and your clubs this season?
My back problems are much better now and I've been working on my fitness. I am also extremely comfortable with my new Yonex clubs which I've been using now since the start of the year.

Europe is without a major winner since 1999 - why have we fared so badly in recent majors? Who do you see as breaking the deadlock, and when? Will it be at Augusta?
I'm not really sure what the reason is but hopefully there will be a European winner this year. It could well be at Augusta.

As for the Europeans there are a lot of young talented players, such as Paul Casey, Sergio Garcia and Luke Donald, who plays on the US Tour.

And then there are the more experienced players - such as Darren Clarke and Padraig Harrington, who are the leading Europeans on the world rankings. They all stand as good a chance as any.