Why Tiger Woods’ potential Masters return at Augusta National shouldn’t be a surprise
That Tiger Woods you see perched on the press conference stage at Augusta National on Tuesday is changed, he says.
There are certainly the physical indicators he’s evolved over the years. The thick head of black hair that shined behind the 18th green after a dominating the 1997 Masters win has receded. That face full of youthful exuberance following back-to-back green jacket wins in 2001 and 2002 is now worn with the wrinkles of wounds self-inflicted and otherwise.
But Woods has taken on a more introspective tone on this rainy Tuesday ahead of the 2022 Masters. He’s grateful to be at Augusta just 14 months removed from a car accident that left him bedridden for three months. He’s thankful for all the well wishes he received from players across the PGA Tour.
Most pressing, though? He’s slated for another shot at a Masters crown.
“As of right now,” Woods said, “I feel like I am going to play.”
Woods, frankly, is lucky to be alive, let alone playing golf, after crashing at over 90 mph in Los Angeles just over a year ago. He suffered massive trauma to his right leg along with ankle and foot injuries, spending months rehabbing from the wreck.
Yet here we are, less than 48 hours from the first round at the 86th Masters and the five-time champ is ready to give it another go at Augusta.
Should we even really be surprised?
This is, after all, the same Woods that proclaimed at 14 years old (and, to be fair, everyone says plenty of inflammatory things at that age) he could be the Michael Jordan of golf. It’s the same man who fed his need for competition and adrenaline by training with Navy SEALS. It’s the same golfer who, even after four back surgeries, including a spinal fusion, pushed himself to a first major tournament title in over a decade at the 2019 Masters.
Woods doesn’t appear to be a broken man after his litany of injuries and documented personal issues. He comes off like a more grateful version of the Terminator, determined to destroy whatever course or competition is in his path, but with a fresher, more endearing perspective.
“We’re (the players on tour) a big fraternity,” Woods said. “The amount of texts and FaceTimes and calls I’ve gotten over the past year have meant a lot. To see some of the guys at home, whether I’ve been out at Medalist, out there playing, to see them again, or to see them yesterday in person and say thanks.”
The last 14 months have forced Woods to reckon with his own mortality — both literally and on the course. At some point, he says, there will come a day he will walk away from the game he’s completely transformed.
His laundry list of health issues could fill an Ernest Hemingway novel. Woods said his also isn’t expected to ever reach his pre-injury form.
But even a limited Woods creates a hell of a buzz around these parts.
This week marked the return of fans to the Masters after spectators were limited over the last two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Woods was greeted by a mob of supporters lining the driving range at Augusta National during his hour-long practice session on Monday. Those onlookers followed in hot pursuit as he made his way to the first tee for an 18-hole exhibition.
Never mind that Woods spent the day walking the fairways with a pair in Justin Thomas and Fred Couples, who each have major titles to their name. That afternoon was about the man chasing Jack Nicklaus’ record six Masters titles.
“Yeah, I figured they were just all out there for Fred, to be honest,” Thomas chided.
Tucked into the hallway to the right of the press room at Augusta National is a wall filled with aging magazines brimming with Masters coverage spanning decades.
Included in the spread is the April 21, 1997 edition of Sports Illustrated. The cover man? That would be a 21-year-old Woods, accompanied by the caption, “The New Master.”
Twenty-five years on from that iconic cover, the man smack dab in the center of it smirks as he reflects on how much time has passed since he boat-raced the field for that record-setting 12-shot Masters win.
Woods has changed — the hair, the wrinkles, the surgeries — but he’s not that different from the brash competitor immortalized on those aforementioned pages.
He’s said for years he wouldn’t enter a tournament if he didn’t think he could win. Does Woods think he can contend at Augusta this week?
“I do,” he said.
Perhaps it’s time we believe in Woods, too.
Tiger Woods, Masters tee times this week
Thursday ... Friday
8 a.m. ... 10:56 a.m. – Jose Maria Olazabal, J.J. Spaun.
8:11 a.m. ... 11:18 a.m. – Mike Weir, Padraig Harrington, a ... Austin Greaser.
8:22 a.m. ... 11:29 a.m. – Larry Mize, Sepp Straka, Francesco Molinari.
8:33 a.m. ... 11:40 a.m. – Fred Couples, Garrick Higgo, Guido Migliozzi.
8:44 a.m. ... 11:51 a.m. – Vijay Singh, Ryan Palmer, K.H. Lee.
8:55 a.m. ... 12:02 p.m. – Min Woo Lee, Hudson Swafford, Cameron Young.
9:06 a.m. ... 12:13 p.m. – Stewart Cink, Brian Harman, Harry Higgs.
9:17 a.m. ... 12:24 p.m. – Zach Johnson, Si Woo Kim, a ... Aaron Jarvis.
9:39 a.m. ... 12:35 p.m. – Luke List, Matthew Wolff, Mackenzie Hughes.
9:50 a.m. ... 12:57 p.m. – Danny Willett, Jason Kokrak, Talor Gooch.
10:01 a.m. ... 1:08 p.m. – Max Homa, Kevin Na, Shane Lowry.
10:12 a.m. ... 1:19 p.m. – Kevin Kisner, Daniel Berger, Tommy Fleetwood.
10:23 a.m. ... 1:30 p.m. – Bryson DeChambeau, Cameron Smith, Paul Casey.
10:34 a.m. ... 1:41 p.m. – Tiger Woods, Louis Oosthuizen, Joaquin Niemann.
10:45 a.m. ... 1:52 p.m. – Hideki Matsuyama, Justin Thomas, a ... James Piot.
10:56 a.m. ... 2:03 p.m. – Adam Scott, Scottie Scheffler, Tony Finau.
11:18 a.m. ... 8 a.m. – Sandy Lyle, a ... Stewart Hagestad.
11:29 a.m. ... 8:11 a.m. – Lucas Glover, Erik van Rooyen, Cameron Champ.
11:40 a.m. ... 8:22 a.m. – Bernhard Langer, Christiaan Bezuidenhout, Cameron Davis.
11:51 a.m. ... 8:33 a.m. – Charl Schwartzel, Robert MacIntyre, a ... Laird Shepherd.
12:02 p.m. ... 8:44 a.m. – Gary Woodland, Justin Rose, Takumi Kanaya.
12:13 p.m. ... 8:55 a.m. – Lee Westwood, Russell Henley, Corey Conners.
12:24 p.m. ... 9:06 a.m. – Patrick Reed, Seamus Power, Lucas Herbert.
12:35 p.m. ... 9:17 a.m. – Bubba Watson, Tom Hoge, a ... Keita Nakajima.
12:57 p.m. ... 9:39 a.m. – Marc Leishman, Webb Simpson, Sungjae Im.
1:08 p.m. ... 9:50 a.m. – Sergio Garcia, Thomas Pieters, Harold Varner III.
1:19 p.m. ... 10:01 a.m. – Abraham Ancer, Tyrrell Hatton, Sam Burns.
1:30 p.m. ... 10:12 a.m. – Dustin Johnson, Billy Horschel, Collin Morikawa.
1:41 p.m. ... 10:23 a.m. – Will Zalatoris, Patrick Cantlay, Jon Rahm.
1:52 p.m. ... 10:34 a.m. – Jordan Spieth, Viktor Hovland, Xander Schauffele.
2:03 p.m. ... 10:45 a.m. – Matthew Fitzpatrick, Brooks Koepka, Rory McIlroy.
This story was originally published April 5, 2022 at 5:52 PM.
