WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Tiger Woods has a symbiotic relationship with Augusta National — they bring out the best in each other — and has come to love the place.

Now, perhaps more than anyone can imagine, he yearns for its embrace.

Woods has won four Masters titles on the rolling hills of the former nursery, and will begin a quest for a fifth green jacket Thursday under bizarre circumstances of his own creation.

He will be returning to competition after a five-month hiatus to deal with the fallout of his numerous adulterous affairs.

Woods, in search of whatever sanctuary he can find on a golf course, chose Augusta National to re-introduce himself to the sport. And why not? It’s where he has been a dominant figure for more than a decade.

His four Masters titles match the number won by Arnold Palmer and are surpassed only by Jack Nicklaus’ six. Woods has made 14 cuts in 15 appearances at the Masters, and has a stunning 70.91 stroke average.

He has finished second, tied for second and tied for third in addition to his wins. Though he hasn’t won a Masters since 2005 — his longest drought at Augusta — neither has Woods finished worse than tied for sixth during that span.

And at 34, regardless of what otherwise might haunt him, he remains in his playing prime.

There has been debate aplenty about the wisdom of Woods making his return — untested in the cauldron of PGA Tour competition this season — at a major championship. But the prevailing opinion among Woods’ rivals is that he’ll do just fine.

“Why? A better question is, ‘Why not?’” Sean O’Hair said. “He’s better than everyone else. It’s that simple. He drives it better and putts it better, and that always seems to be the case” at the Masters.

As for the notion that Woods will be distracted by hecklers or his own angst, Colin Montgomerie offered this rebuttal: “He’ll be determined to play well, and he’s dangerous when he’s determined, isn’t he? He’s very, very strong-minded.”

Woods is a ferocious competitor to his core, and major championships stoke that particular fire. He has won 14 in pursuit of Nicklaus’ record 18, and the jumping-off point was Woods’ galvanizing triumph at the Masters in 1997 when he set standards for scoring (18-under-par 270) and margin of victory (12 shots ahead of Tom Kite). He was 21, and remains the youngest winner in tournament history.

At the time, Woods’ prodigious length and strength led to the so-called Tiger-proofing of Augusta National as it was stretched from 6,925 yards to 7,445 over the years. Nevertheless, he has won three more times and been in contention more often than not even as the course, which measures 7,435 yards on the official card this year, has been tightened and made more penal.

Woods, in recent years, has insisted that he is a more complete player than he was while winning the second and third of his green jackets in 2001 and ’02.

“As far as understanding how to play, my game is infinitely better,” he once said. “And as far as how to work my way around a course, how to turn a 74 or 75 into a 71 or 70 or 69, I’ve learned so many different ways of doing it … so many different ways that allow me to keep myself in it (and) win tournaments.”

Nowhere is that more true than at Augusta National. Woods has developed a Nicklausian knowledge of the course’s nuances.

“Tiger has plenty of length off the tee, but he is also a shot-maker, is creative around the greens, and he can putt,” Nicklaus said. “Tiger’s father did a wonderful job when Tiger was young of teaching him to hit all shots. He became a complete golfer as he matured and added power to his game.

“At Augusta, length is always an advantage, but being able to hit and shape shots, being able to hit recovery shots and then being talented on and around the greens are all keys to success there.”

If his first Masters win was built on raw power, Woods’ second in 2001 was carved out under pressure to complete the Tiger Slam after having won the U.S. Open, British Open and PGA Championship the previous year. In 2002, Woods joined Nicklaus and Nick Faldo as the only players to win back-to-back Masters.

In 2005, Woods won for the fourth time at Augusta National by beating Chris DiMarco in a playoff, but the most memorable shot of the tournament — and it’s in the argument for the most memorable of Woods’ career — was a chip-in for a birdie-2 at the 16th hole during the final round.

The shot was a combination of smarts and finesse. Woods aimed away from the hole to use the green’s slope, which carried the ball on a trickle to the cup where it lingered on the lip before falling in. That delicate chip completes the portrait showing the range of Woods’ game that defines his mastery at the Masters.

“Nothing surprises him there,” Geoff Ogilvy said. “He doesn’t get fooled by anything, and that’s a huge advantage against everyone in the field.”

Now, however, there are questions regarding Woods’ preparedness. The expectation is that this Masters will offer the most stringent test of his usually astonishing blend of physical skill, mental toughness and emotional balance.

“You have to be in the mood to compete,” Palmer said.

Would Woods show up if he weren’t in the mood to take on such a monumental challenge?

Woods will be supremely motivated to prove himself capable of golf greatness even while coping with the turmoil that recently has been his life away from the game.

He’ll count on Augusta National to aid him in his search for professional renewal.

He’ll be right where he wants to be.

And as he said in making the announcement that he would play the Masters, he’ll be right where he needs to be.