Is Tiger on the prowl again at Augusta? Golf legend Woods raises hopes over a sensational and surprise Masters return with the five-time winner ‘set to play a practice round at the course TODAY after jetting in from his home in Florida’
- Speculation has mounted that Tiger Woods will play at the season’s first major
- It has emerged that Woods, 46, will take in a practice round at Augusta National
- The news has sparked excitement that all-time great will feature at the Masters
- His name is also still listed on the tournament’s website as an ‘active competitor’
Tiger Woods has raised hopes that he could make a sensational return to the Masters after it was revealed that he is set to play a practice round at Augusta National today.
Speculation has mounted that Woods may stun the sporting world by featuring in the season’s first major, and it looks to have reached fever pitch after recent events.
In a surprising twist, The Telegraph have reported that Woods, 46, will take in a practice round, with confirmation arriving that his private jet landed in the city.
Tiger Woods is set to play a practice round in Augusta, raising hopes of a Masters comeback
Just over a week before the 86th Masters gets underway, the all-time great’s name is still listed on the tournament website as one of 86 ‘active competitors’.
However, excitement over a comeback for Woods has been somewhat dampened because of the way that Augusta approaches its list of players.
They do not remove a past champion’s name from the entry list until he pulls out – and there is no deadline by which Woods must commit to taking part.
Woods’ private jet was spotted landing in Augusta and he is listed as an ‘active competitor’
Woods has not featured at an official competitive event in around 18 months. Intriguingly, his last appearance came in the 2020 Masters.
He has looked to wave away expectations in recent weeks, however, after he revealed at the Genesis Open that he cannot walk on a course with ‘undulations’.
Due to the layout at Augusta, there has been little hope that Woods would mount a memorable charge for what would be a record-equalling sixth green jacket.
Yet the buzz around the iconic venue has begun to build again with Woods’ Gulfstream having been confirmed to have landed inside the same state.
The legend pulled on the Green Jacket in 2019 but has not played competitively in 18 months
Last week, Wood was spotted hitting drives at Medalist, a course in his home state of Florida. There, he was joined by caddie Joe LaCava and was not buggy-assisted.
Woods’ decision will not impact on the participation of another player at the Masters because there are no reserves, so he could wait until the last minute to decide.
The legend is expected to attend the Champions Dinner on the Tuesday ahead of the showpiece, and various publications have tipped him to keep golf on tenterhooks.
He has also been in the same situation before, in 2016 and 2017.
Woods featured at the PNC Championship with his son Charlie, and went on to finish second
On both occasions, he had struggled to recover from a back injury and withdrew from the Masters on the Friday before the tournament got underway.
Woods played in the unofficial PNC Championship with his son, Charlie, at the end of 2021, and the 15-time major champion went on to finish second that week.
The former World No 1 is currently ranked 917th in the official World Golf Rankings.
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