Woods set to start at Augusta
Tiger Woods is almost certain to appear in The Masters in less than two weeks’ time after playing a practice round at Augusta at the weekend.
Although the official starting lists have long included the five-time champion, that is standard practice for any golfer who is exempt and has not already scratched.
And after Woods withdrew during the second round of the LA Open in February – his first official event in 10 months – there were inevitable doubts that the 48-yearold would tee it up in the season’s first major, as he continues to recover from the 2021 car crash that almost cost the American his right leg.
But his presence at the Georgia gem in a prep outing signals that he is ready to return to the competition where he announced his genius at large at age 21, with a 12-stroke win 27 years ago. That was an iconic success, but, remarkably, was perhaps even eclipsed for incredulity by his comeback victory at the Masters in 2019, following a spinal fusion.
Woods’ catastrophic injuries since have placed his competitiveness in question. He has played in only five events since his surgery in 2021. Woods made the cut at last year’s Masters, but was forced to retire during the third round.
Reports suggested Woods played on Saturday with Augusta National chairman Fred Ridley and Ryder Cup team-mate Justin Thomas.
If Woods does play and makes the cut, he would do so for the 25th time and thus break the record, leaving behind Gary Player and Fred Couples. Woods has only missed the cut once, in 1996.
Woods has five Masters green jackets among his 15 major titles. - Telegraph Group