HURT BLOCKER
Wounded Tiger still eyes glory
TIGER WOODS believes he can play through the pain barrier and make more history by winning a record-equalling sixth Masters this weekend.
The American superstar, 48, has played only six full Tour events since a horrific car crash in February 2021.
The 15-time Major winner has not completed 72 holes for nearly 15 months and said: “I hurt every day.”
Woods winning his fifth Masters here in 2019 after 11 years of scandal and surgeries was among the greatest sports stories and comebacks in history.
But the player now ranked world No.959 reckons he can go one better.
“If everything comes together, I think I can get one more,” he said. “Do I need to describe that any more than that, or are we good?”
In his pomp, Woods insisted he would never become a “ceremonial golfer” and he did not give a longer answer when asked if he had thought about joining Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player and Tom Watson as an honorary starter.
“I have not thought about being a starter here, no,” he said.
Even when the things in his game don’t come together? “Well, I still think they can,” Woods added. “So I don’t know when that day is, when that day comes, but I still think that I can.
“I haven’t got to that point where I don’t think I can’t (win it).”
A year ago, Woods equalled the record of 23 consecutive cuts made here, which were held by Fred Couples and Player.
But he withdrew before the raindelayed third round restarted on Sunday with foot pains. He was six-over par after seven holes on a cold and wet Saturday.
Since then, he played 72 holes at his Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas last December and withdrew from the Genesis Invitational in February on the seventh hole of the second round with flu-like symptoms.
He now faces the task of walking the hilly Augusta National with nagging pain in his battered body.
“I hurt every day,” he smiled. “I ache.” Is it worse here? “No, I ache every day,” he added. “I prefer it warm and humid and hot. I know we’re going to get some thunderstorms, so at least it will be hot. It won’t be like last year.
“The ankle doesn’t hurt anymore. It’s fused. It’s not going anywhere. So that’s fine. It’s other parts of my body that now have to take the brunt of it.
“Things just flare up. Some days I just feel really good and other days, not so much.”
Woods, who is in negotiations to become the next USA Ryder Cup captain, also believes it is only a matter of time before Rory McIlroy joins the career Grand Slam club.
He is one of only five men to win all four Majors and said: “No question, he’ll do it at some point. Rory’s too talented.
“He’s going to be playing this event for a very long time. He’ll get it done. It’s just a matter of when. But, yes, Rory will be a great Masters champion one day – and it could be this week.”
McIlroy responded by saying: “It’s flattering. It’s nice to hear the best player ever to play the game say something like that.”