Tiger Woods will attempt a remarkable comeback this week in Augusta, aiming to play in the 2022 Masters just 14 months after a catastrophic wreck nearly cost him his leg.
“As of right now, I feel like I am going to play,” Tiger Woods said at a news conference Tuesday.
Asked if he can win, 14 months on from shattering his leg in a horrific car crash, he was defiant in response.
‘I do. I can hit it just fine. I have no qualms what I can do physically from a golf standpoint,’ he added.
‘Walking is the hard part. 72 holes is a long road. It is a tough challenge and a challenge I am up for.’
Woods was involved in a one-car crash in February 2021, a high-speed rollover that left Woods with compound fractures and extensive damage across his legs and ankles. He spent months in physical therapy and recovery out of the public eye, offering only tantalizing glimpses of his progress on social media. He played in a parent-child event in December with son Charlie and appeared to have recovered his swing, but he rode in a cart for much of the event.
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Alert observers noticed several weeks ago that Tiger Woods was not listed among the “former champions not playing” on Augusta National’s Masters roster, and soon afterward Woods’ plane was tracked flying from Jupiter, Florida, to Augusta. Woods later played nine holes on Sunday and another nine holes Monday, declaring that his playing status would be a “game-time decision.”
In the hours before making his announcement, Woods was on Augusta National’s practice green, going through a litany of drives, chips and putts. He walked gingerly but without a limp, as he had the previous two days. With ugly weather rolling into Augusta at midday Tuesday, Woods opted not to practice any more on Tuesday and instead planned for nine more holes on Wednesday. Assuming that preparation went well, Woods would tee off at some as-yet-undetermined point on Thursday for his latest run at the Masters.
Although he’s ranked 973rd in the world, Tiger Woods is still +5000 to win the tournament, per BetMGM, which are better odds than several recent champions. Money will continue to flow in on Woods right up until he leaves the tournament, whether it’s with or without a sixth green jacket.
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