Retief Goosen knows what it's like to be in the pressure-cooker on the most demanding golf courses.

A two-time U.S. Open winner, Goosen knows what it takes to win — and win big, something he hasn't done, by his considerable standards, in too long on the PGA Tour.

As Goosen walked off the 72nd green at the recent WGC-CA Championship at Doral, he could appreciate just how close he is to getting back in the winner's circle.
   
Call it good timing with the PGA Tour's major championship season — and the Masters — now just days away.

Anybody who follows golf closely knows the South African won the U.S. Open in 2001 at Southern Hills in a playoff against Mark Brooks and again at Shinnecock, in that riveting final-round battle against Phil Mickelson, three years later. In both instances, Goosen relied on an immaculate short game. At Shinnecock, he put on an uncanny putting display.

What few are aware of is Goosen's record at Augusta National Golf Club. It's as good as can be, minus a victory.

Beginning in 2002, when he was in the final group with Tiger Woods, the winner, Goosen's finishes the past six years in the Masters are: 2, T13, T13, T3, T3, T2. That's four top-three finishes in six years.

He's always there, always nipping, always trying, always waiting for that one elusive putt to fall and put him over the top.

It's just that in the absence of fist-pumping, cap-slamming, high-fiving or any other kind of demonstration, it's hard to remember just how much of a factor Goosen has been in the Masters.

You've got to love the way Goosen plays. I do. Cool, calm, calculated. He's Clint Eastwood on a golf course, a man of few words. Ramrod straight, no frills, no fuss. You might get a lazy yawn but that's about all the emotion he's going to give away.

Goosen last won on the PGA Tour at The International in 2005. Last week, he tied for second at the WGC-CA Championship behind Geoff Ogilvy, one tournament after a tie for 14th at Bay Hill.

Goosen's best finish in 2007 was at Augusta — no surprise there — where the T2 represented an improvement of 15 places over his next best finish. Zach Johnson held on to beat Goosen, Woods and Rory Sabbatini at last year's Masters.

Goosen is confident things are moving in the right direction.

"It's nice to get the game going a little bit," he said.

The expectations are supported by the knowledge that Masters isn't far off and Goosen knows how he always plays there.

"I was determined to keep going, to get my game in shape," he said. "You know, I don't like to practice a lot, so I felt playing a lot (five straight weeks) was the only way to get my game back into shape.

"Definitely the putting has improved a lot and the chipping. I still need to work on the driving a little bit, but overall things are getting pretty good. I'm looking forward to the Masters."

The challenge for Goosen is to put all those pieces together. He's been working with his instructor Gregor Jamieson at Lake Nona in Orlando.

"The backswing was a little bit across the line at the top, so we're trying to get that a little bit more in line," Goosen said. "Putting stroke, I've tried to go back to the way I was putting in 2001, 2003, somewhere around there, so trying to change back to that. It's helped, definitely, with the putting. It's nice to see the ball going in the hole again."

Goosen's preparations for Augusta have proven successful over the years so there won't be too many adjustments. The focus will be on short-game next week as he practices at Lake Nona in advance of the Masters.

"I'll be playing a lot of these sort of bump-and-run shots around Lake Nona because you're going to have that a lot at Augusta, and I'll be playing a lot (at Augusta)," Goosen said. "I'll try and get nine or 18 holes in every day."