Tiger Woods' new found happiness has been critical to his resurgence on the PGA Tour.

Some of the top golfing pundits in the United States said this happiness would stand Woods in good stead ahead of his bid to win a fifth Masters title.

Former major champion Paul Azinger has suggested that it is Woods' ability to shut out the demons of the past that has brought him his recent success.

"Some people will never forgive Tiger for what happened, but that's unimportant to his success," Azinger told the New York Times.

"For a person who makes mistakes in their life, they have to have the ability to forgive themselves before they can come to grips and really have that peace again that I think is required for Tiger to play the way he has. So I think it's a good sign for him personally that he's playing the way he's playing," added Azinger.

Highly regarded performance coach Damien Vaughn, who agrees with Azinger's sentiment, said Woods' state of mind would be critical to his future success.

He also remarked on how difficult he thinks it might have been for Woods to get to this point, which is an achievement in itself.

"Tiger is someone who clearly has had the ability on the course to regulate his emotions, to handle the pressure and stresses so he is able to perform at his peak when it matters most," said Vaughn.

"But what happened in his personal life jeopardized his perception of himself. Now there's a discrepancy in what he thinks he has to do and what he's actually done. To narrow that gap, Tiger had to access what happened. He had to take his emotions, objectively observe them, accept them and then let them go. He had to forgive himself so he could return to using his mental power in a positive way," added Vaughn.

"He's obviously looking happier. If he is at peace in work, life and his personal life, that's everything."

Also commenting in the remarkable Woods recovery was two-time US Open champion Andy North.

"You very seldom see a player play exceptionally well when they've got issues going on off the golf course," said North.

"The more comfortable you are off the golf course, generally the more comfortable you'll be on it. And if Tiger has found a happy spot, that's great. It's only going to help him in the long run."

Golf 365