Woods still hopeful of yet another title
AUGUSTA, Ga. — Tiger Woods still thinks he can win another Masters. Recent evidence would suggest that might be a steeper climb than walking up to the 18th green at Augusta National.
Never mind he is 48 and has had more surgeries than his 15 major titles. Or that in his 10 rounds at the Masters since he won in 2019, he has broken par — and not by much — only three times. Or that his body has allowed him to play only 24 holes of tournament golf this year.
Woods was asked Tuesday what he was capable of doing against Scottie Scheffler and defending champion Jon Rahm, against a field that brings together the best from the PGA Tour and LIV Golf for the first time since July.
“If everything comes together, I think I can get one more,” Woods said. He paused briefly before adding, “Do I need to describe that any more than that, or are we good?”
The answer will start to reveal itself Thursday. As always, there is much curiosity about the one player who once was as predictable as golf allows. There is a practical side to Woods. He knows the limitations of age and injury because he said he feels it just about every day.
“Some days, I just feel really good,” he said. “Other days, not so much.”
That’s a product of knee surgeries, a fused lower back, a fused ankle. He is not limping as much, like last year when he wound up withdrawing before he could finish the rain-delayed third round at the Masters.
But his hope going into 2024 was to play once a month. That seemed to be a reasonable plan until he skipped all of the Florida swing in March.
“My body wasn’t ready,” he said. “My game wasn’t ready.”
Woods said he doesn’t practice nearly as much as he once did, even with his own shortgame course in the backyard of his Florida home. His future has been so clouded that even his private jet being spotted on its way to Augusta a few weeks ago became news.
To him, the Masters is another chance to compete on his favorite course at his favorite major. That still matters. For as long as he has played, as often as he has won, with so many trophies he doesn’t know where most of them are, it doesn’t get old.
“I love golf. I do,” he said with a warm smile. “I’ve always loved it. I played other sports growing up, but I just have always loved this sport. I love to compete. And to be able to have the love I have for the game and the love for competition be intertwined, I think that’s one of the reasons why I’ve had a successful career.”
He took a few clubs with him on the front nine when he arrived Sunday, then played the back nine with Will Zalatoris on Monday and the front nine with Fred Couples and Justin Thomas on Tuesday.