'The Guv'nor is here, pipe down' – Snooker GOAT Ronnie O'Sullivan on why golf GOAT Tiger Woods inspires his own dreams

When 21-year-old Tiger Woods was rampaging around Augusta National to win the first of his five Masters titles by a record 12 strokes in 1997, Ronnie O'Sullivan was back in Blighty preparing to race around the Crucible Theatre making his epic world-record 147 in five minutes and eight seconds. Both moments are etched in sporting folklore and both figures have progressed to transcend their respective fields of play with 15-time major winner Woods embarking upon his 24th US Masters appearance a week before O'Sullivan competes at a record 30th straight Crucible competition in Sheffield.

Ad/> The six-time world champion is widely regarded as the snooker GOAT, but admits he has always used the innate will-to-win of his golfing equivalent to recover from adversity as an iconic inspiration in his own domain. MastersWoods make solid Masters start on his return to golf following horrific car crash5 MINUTES AGO O'Sullivan is astonished but not surprised by Woods and his ability to return to the golf course for the season's first major only 14 months after surviving a life-threatening car crash in Los Angeles.

«When I found out that he was going to be teeing it up at Augusta, yeah, brilliant I thought. Absolutely brilliant,» O'Sullivan told Eurosport.

«I mean, if he makes the cut it's a miracle to be fair, but you also wouldn't put it past him to win it. /> At the venerable sporting age of 46, O'Sullivan and Woods look far from ready for a quiet life.

/> The Rocket has revelled in centuries and cue ball wizardry, compiling a staggering 1,154 since turning professional in 1992. He is the most dominant ranking tournament winner of all time on 38 and chases a record-equalling seventh world title while Woods continues his quest to move