Tiger Woods isn’t ruling out his chances of returning to competition at the 2022 Masters.
The five-time Masters champion was seen at the Augusta National Golf Club with his son Charlie on Tuesday.
According to Sports Illustrated's Bob Harig, Woods plans on playing a practice round at the course where he will "gauge whether he is fit to compete in the Masters next week."
The practice rounds in Augusta run over a span of two days – Monday, April 4 and Tuesday, April 5 – followed by a Par 3 Contest on April 6. The official tournament gets underway with a four-day event starting April 7. The hardest part of the preparation for Woods may not be the golf but the difficulty of the course itself.
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“Tiger is trying to figure out if he can get his game ready… it’s not just the playing of golf part, it’s the walking part, it’s the walking part,” Harig told NBC. “Augusta is a strenuous walk, very hilly, very taxiing for the guys who are in great shape.”
Since Woods was involved in a car crash in February 2021 that required various surgeries on his right leg, he has not competed in an official PGA Tour event. While fans would be thrilled to see Woods back in action, matching his skill level from before the accident and finding that momentum right away will be a tall task for the 46-year-old.
“If Tiger is willing to lower his expectations and not feel like he has to be Tiger Woods, I don't think anyone is going to have any problems with him going out there and trying,” Harig said. “They'll be so thrilled just to see him out there, they won't care what he shoots.”
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Woods, who is currently on the entry field of the event, has until the week of the tournament to decide whether he will compete or not.
