Woods absent anew in 2017 US Masters?

The Masters will start next week and there is no clear word whether or not Tiger Woods will play.

Even as Woods has not played that long already, suspense still rents the air.

To some, it won’t matter if he plays. They believe he is not of the kind anymore who would win a fifth Masters. To them, he is not worth watching anymore.

To others, though, it matters if he plays. Woods devotees are a fanatical lot. They believe that there’s still gas left in Woods tank.

For one, he is only 40 years old. Jack Nicklaus was 46 when he won the Masters in 1986; that was Nicklaus 18th major, an all-time record.

For another, Woods has said time and again he’ll be back. But his last major victory came way back in 2008 yet, the year before his multiple marital infidelities had been exposed.

After Elin Nordgren had filed for divorce that earned her a whopping $100-million alimony in 2009, Woods game started to disintegrate.

Worst, Woods absorbed leg injuries that required several surgeries in 2011.

But somewhat miraculously, Woods recovered and won eight times from 2012 to 2013 to grab back the world No. 1 ranking.

When things seem to go roses and wines again, Woods got hampered by back problems. One week before the 2014 Masters, he went under the knife to fix a pinched nerve. Unsuccessful, he had two more procedures in the same spot over the last three months of that year.

I don’t want to have another procedure, Woods has said, who has since kept reiterating his newfound love for his wife Elin and kids Sam and Charlie.

Even if I don’t come back and I don’t play again, Woods told Lorne Rubenstein of Time Magazine, I still want to have a qualify of life with my kids. I started to lose that with the other surgeries.

After telling his kids, Daddy made some mistakes, Woods, who still owns the most recognizable face in golf today, said he has mended his fences with Elin.

The relationship I have now with her is fantastic, he said. She’s one of my best friends. We both know that the most important things in our lives are our kids. I wish I would have known that back then.

In the interview, Woods said he is ready to face the reality of not being able to regain his top form. Again.

If it does (happen), I’ve reconciled myself to it, he said.

Seemingly, Johnny Miller was right: Woods will not win a major again after having won his 14th some nine years or so ago.