Tiger Woods arrived at Augusta National Golf Club for the second time this week after announcing on Sunday morning that he was flying up and also that playing in the 2022 Masters -- which would be his 22nd Masters as a professional -- would be "a game-time decision."
Woods, who was in a serious car accident that nearly resulted in the loss of his right leg just 14 months ago, looked healthy and happy, and the early reports from the ground are that his golf swing looks like it can stand up to 72 holes of major championship golf. Whether his body can do the same remains to be seen.
"He looked like the Tiger we saw before the accident, the way the swing looked and the speed," Billy Horschel told Sean Martin of PGATour.com. "For him to hopefully be playing – which I think he is – I think we're all giddy about it."
Just watched Tiger Woods on the range here at Augusta National. Warm-up lasted less than 20 mins. Worked from wedges up to driver.
— Evin Priest (@EvinPriest) April 3, 2022
He did NOT MISS A SHOT. Every shot was flushed. Has not lost any speed
Billy Horschel watched Tiger hit balls Sunday, and estimates Tiger carried his driver 290.
— Sean Martin (@PGATOURSMartin) April 3, 2022
"He looked like the Tiger we saw before the accident, the way the swing looked and the speed.
"For him to hopefully be playing – which I think he is – I think we’re all giddy about it."
Woods proceeded to play the golf course, which was closed to the media on Sunday, and will ostensibly do so again on Monday as he preps for the 86th edition of this event. It's extremely difficult to see him not playing at this point. Teasing yourself with a magical track like Augusta National on the eve of what would be your first major championship in 17 months is like showing your kids their Christmas presents three days before Christmas and then telling them you're going to wrap them back up and deliver them the following year. It could happen, sure, but it's difficult to imagine.
No, it seems like Big Cat is, remarkably, going to tee it up for another Masters as he looks to push his made-cut streak to 22 in a row as a professional and perhaps even extend his top-10 number from 14 to 15. It's hard to envision Woods contending, of course, given that his first few starts after a similar layoff leading into 2018 led to a mixed bag of results, including a T23 at the Farmers Insurance Open and a missed cut at Riviera, but Tiger has enough experience and wisdom at this golf course that it's not tough to see him making the cut and playing the weekend. That would be, all things considered, one of the more extraordinary golf stories in recent memory.
Tiger, who according to Masters.com hit the ball beautifully on Sunday evening and missed just one fairway while playing the second nine, is expected to play the course again on Monday afternoon during a time in which it will be open to all media, so there should be more information to work with going into his Tuesday session with the media at 11 a.m. Woods is also expected to partake in the Tuesday evening Champions Dinner, which is likely when we'll get a definitive answer about whether the five-time winner of this tournament will go for a sixth starting on Thursday.
