With springtime in bloom, the 86th edition of the Masters Tournament is set to begin on Thursday morning at Augusta National Golf Club. And when the 10:34 a.m. grouping tees off at Tea Olive, the game's most captivating and polarizing player will officially return to action. Just 14 months after nearly losing his right leg in a serious car crash, Tiger Woods announced on Tuesday that he intends to play this week, and believes he can win a record-tying sixth green jacket.
The 46-year-old sustained serious injuries in a single-car accident in February 2021, near Los Angeles. He suffered open fractures to his lower right leg, and had a rod placed in his tibia and screws and pins inserted in his foot and ankle during emergency surgery. Although playing causes pain, Woods has learned how to endure it. And longtime sportswriter Ian O'Connor expects the 15-time major champion to legitimately compete, barring some unfortunate setback.
"He added to the sense of anticipation today in a huge way by not only saying that he expects to play, but that he expects to win," O'Connor told Maggie and Perloff on Tuesday. "And if Woods says that, you have to believe it. I was here, three years ago, when he pulled it off. In 36 years of doing this, I think it's the greatest sporting event I've ever covered. And if he wins this weekend, that'd reduce 2019 to a sidebar in his career, which is hard to believe...
"Watching him yesterday, he really has a hobble, a limp -- it's very noticeable. In and out of stances, he seems to struggle. And walking up the fairways, he sometimes looked like an old man. But when he swings the golf club, it's the Tiger Woods of old. It's not an 'old' Tiger. He can still crush the ball, and he's precise with his irons. The game, itself, does look like it can win here again."
The last time Woods played in a regular PGA Tour event was 17 months ago, when the Masters took place in November, because of the pandemic. That weekend, he finished tied for 38th with a disappointing four-over final round. Woods pulled off a remarkable victory at Augusta in 2019, capturing his first major in 11 years with a 13-under final round. Another jacket, and he'll be tied with legend Jack Nicklaus for the most all-time.
Woods' return to the course also comes close to the 25th anniversary of his first Masters win, back in 1997. That year, he won by a record 12 strokes, and shot a then-tournament record 18-under par 270 over four rounds. Woods is listed as a 40-to-1 shot to win the 2022 Masters, according to the William Hill Sportsbook, and the reigning champion, Hideki Matsuyama, is also 40-to-1. The top-two favorites are Jon Rahm (10-to-1) and Dustin Johnson (12-to-1).
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