Tiger Woods visits Augusta National on Sunday
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Tiger Woods is on the grounds at Augusta National.
The five-time Masters winner was on-site Sunday, shaking hands and sharing laughs with Augusta National Chairman Fred Ridley and longtime TOUR peer Jason Day. Woods has not officially announced his intention to play in the coming week’s Masters, but he was included on the pre-tournament press conference schedule (11 a.m. ET Tuesday), providing a clue. He is also included in the main portion of the Masters website’s invitee list, above the “Past Champions Not Playing” section.
Woods last competed on TOUR at The Genesis Invitational in February, making the cut and finishing T45. He carded 4-under 67 in the third round at Riviera CC, his lowest score in competition since returning from his 2021 car crash.
The lack of a formal announcement from Woods seems to imply that his recovery from competing at Riviera has gone as planned and that he will be ready to compete Thursday. Woods, 47, made his competitive return from the 2021 car crash at last year’s Masters, making the cut and finishing solo 47th.
Woods also competed at last year’s PGA Championship (made cut, WD after 54 holes) and The Open Championship (missed cut), in addition to the PNC Championship in December alongside son Charlie.
Following the final round at Riviera, Woods made clear his intention to compete in all four major championships this year if his body allowed.
“I’m not going to play any more than probably the majors and a couple more … that’s it, that’s all my body will allow me to do,” Woods said at Riviera. “My back the way it is, all the surgeries I had on my back, my leg the way it is. I just can’t. That’s just going to be my future.
“So my intent last year was to play in all four majors, I got three of the four. Hopefully this year I can get all four and maybe sprinkle in a few here and there. But that's it for the rest of my career. I know that and I understand that. That's just my reality.”
For the golf world at large, any reality that includes Woods at the Masters is an appreciative one.