The Masters is again – and so is Tiger Woods. The legend has been liable for a few of the most iconic moments and best photographs within the main’s historical past, to not point out his 5 victories.
However within the 5 years since his final triumph at Augusta Nationwide in 2019 – when he capped one of many nice comebacks in sport by claiming a primary main since 2008 – Woods has been to hell and again.
Now, as he prepares for his twenty sixth try at Augusta, Woods is a vastly totally different proposition to the younger man that dominated golf within the late ‘90s and 2000s.
He’s the world quantity 950, in response to the Official World Golf Rating.
Overlook profitable a sixth Masters and tying Jack Nicklaus’ document at Augusta – simply being right here is miraculous.
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Earlier than that 2019 triumph, Tiger had already endured loads of powerful instances. There have been years of again and ankle issues within the 2010s, with the 15-time main winner present process 4 again surgical procedures by 2018.
And there was the non-public points that derailed his superstardom once they first emerged in 2009.
Then got here the horror Los Angeles automotive crash in February 2021, which practically noticed Woods have his proper leg amputated throughout emergency surgical procedure.
He spent three months in hospital, earlier than saying in November that yr: “I’m fortunate to be alive but in addition nonetheless have the limb. These are two essential issues.
“I’m very grateful that somebody upstairs was taking good care of me, that I’m in a position to not solely be right here but in addition to stroll and not using a prosthesis.”
It was a very long time earlier than he made it again onto the Tour – fittingly, on the 2022 Masters.
That event, he hit a powerful one-under 71 within the first spherical and made the minimize, earlier than ending up forty seventh general after two 78s within the third and fourth rounds – his worst-ever scores at Augusta.
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He was clearly struggling badly with bodily issues. However he’d performed so many instances in his profession and located his approach again to turning into a champion.
Why not once more?
What had appeared inconceivable – that Woods couldn’t solely play golf once more, however compete – immediately appeared achievable.
Not simple or possible, thoughts you, however achievable, due to Woods’ unparalleled starvation for fulfillment.
Even this week, Woods isn’t simply speaking about taking part in at Augusta once more — he’s speaking about profitable.
“If every part comes collectively, I feel I can get yet another (inexperienced jacket),” Woods stated.
He added with a smile: “Do I would like to explain that any greater than that, or are we good?”
That starvation for fulfillment, for greatness, has outlined his profession. It helped him to take golf to new heights of professionalism and athleticism. Woods famously did 5 or 6 bodily coaching periods per week in his early profession, placing on loads of muscle bulk and gaining a big benefit on his rivals.
It ushered in a brand new period for the game.
And that very same starvation introduced him again from near-retirement within the late 2010s to turning into a serious winner once more in 2019.
However the bodily points within the wake of 2021 are on an entire totally different stage to those who plagued him within the earlier decade.
He has suffered continual ache, plantaar fasciitis, and arthritis brought on by the trauma of the crash. Again ache additionally stays a recurring downside. And naturally, there’s the straightforward issue of age.
And but Woods performed on.
Final yr, Woods was in Augusta once more, battling by the ache. He made the minimize, in some way, however withdrew earlier than the third spherical resumed after a rain delay.
He would have one other bout of surgical procedure on his ankle only a week later.
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Now he’s again, and with historical past in his sights. He’s trying to make the 36-hole minimize for a twenty fourth consecutive time, which might take him past the tied document of Gary Participant and Fred {Couples}.
Ending two event rounds could be a serious achievement.
In 2024, he has accomplished only one – on the Genesis Invitational, the place he struggled with decrease again tightness earlier than withdrawing throughout the second spherical because of the flu.
However with regards to his hopes of taking part in a full weekend, the stats paint a dire image.
Because the automotive crash, Woods has completed 4 rounds in simply two of his six begins – the 2022 Masters (forty seventh) and the 2023 Genesis Invitational (T-Forty fifth).
His final top-20 end on the PGA Tour was again in 2020.
Tiger, now 48 years outdated, has been tweaking his swing in a determined bid to have the ability to play – not to mention compete.
His former faculty teammate at Stanford, Notah Begay II, now a golf analyst for NBC Sports activities, instructed media final week that Woods is battling a variety of bodily points.
“He’s attempting to formulate a method and strategy that he can work inside given the constraints that he’s offered with — and he’s bought some constraints,” Begay stated.
“He’s bought zero mobility in that left ankle and actually has low-back challenges now, which he knew he was going to have.”
Woods detailed the continued points himself on Tuesday.
“I damage each day,” he stated. “I ache. I ache each day,
“The ankle doesn’t damage anymore. It’s fused. It’s not going wherever. In order that’s nice. It’s different components of my physique that now need to take the brunt of it.
“The again, the knee, different components of the physique, need to take the load of it and simply the endurance functionality of strolling a very long time and being on my ft for a very long time.”
Nonetheless, the mere sight of Woods swinging a membership once more all the time has the golf world asking the inevitable; might he actually win once more?
Bodily limitations apart, Tiger continues to be Tiger: one of many best to ever swing a membership, a person who has defied logic and adjusted the game endlessly.
And Will Zalatoris, who performed 9 holes of follow with Woods at Augusta this week, gave an optimistic evaluate.
“He performed nice right this moment. He outdrove me a pair instances so there was some chirping happening. So, you recognize, he appears to be like nice. He’s shifting in addition to he will be,” Zalatoris stated.
“With every part he’s gone by, it’s fairly wonderful to see how good he’s swinging it.”
In the meantime, very long time pal Fred {Couples} is actually consuming the Kool-Help with regards to Woods’ probabilities this week.
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“Can he win right here? You understand what? Yeah,” {Couples} stated.
“9 holes is barely 9 holes on a Tuesday, however he by no means mis-hits a shot.
“His ankle is unhealthy. We all know it. However he’s right here, he’s going to stroll 72 holes, and if he retains taking part in like that, he’ll be an element.”
The previous few years have proven that it’s not the golf swing that’s the difficulty with regards to Tiger – it’s merely strolling. And Augusta is likely one of the hilliest programs on the calendar.
“For the previous couple months, he’s been looking for a approach to get well,” Begay stated. “He can play the golf. We all the time knew the query was going to be ‘Can he stroll the 72 [holes]?’ That’s nonetheless up within the air.
“However can he get well from one spherical to the subsequent? That’s the most important query that I actually don’t know, and he’s not going to know both till he will get on the market and figures out whether or not the best way he’s ready for this yr’s Masters goes to work for him.”
If he can survive the stroll, then there’s no telling what he’ll shoot.
71, like his return in 2022? Maybe. Make the minimize? It’s potential.
Past that, it might take a miracle.
However then once more, Tiger has been on the centre of so many magical moments at Augusta, so many fairytales – you possibly can by no means write him off.