Speculation Soars That Tiger Woods Could Play In Masters Next Week

The Tiger watch is on.

The most famous golfer in the world on Tuesday spurred numerous reports that he might play next week’s Masters a little more than a year after suffering severe injuries in a car crash.

Eyan Lavner, senior writer at Golf Channel, was among the first to spark speculation. “Tiger, this you?” Lavner wrote on Twitter, posting a picture showing the flight path of a plane.

Tiger, this you? pic.twitter.com/rqg5yYMrla

— Ryan Lavner (@RyanLavnerGC) March 29, 2022

The 15-time major champion — who has won the Masters five times, remains on the list of 91 starters for the 2022 tournament, which begins on April 7.

The early reports were soon backed up by accounts saying Woods was playing a practice round with his son, Charlie, and his longtime friend, fellow PGA pro Justin Thomas. Finally, the Professional Golf Association Tour posted a tweet showing Woods with the caption: “Tiger Woods is practicing today at Augusta National.”

Tiger Woods is practicing today at Augusta National. 👀

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) March 29, 2022

“An anonymous source told Sports Illustrated that the five-time Masters winner arrived at Augusta National on Tuesday with his son Charlie,” the PGA Tour wrote in an article. “That confirmation came after social media accounts posted flight-tracking info that showed Woods’ private jet flying to Augusta earlier in the day. A Twitter account belonging to the Augusta-based aerial photography company Eureka Earth posted video of a plane with the logo of Woods’ TGR Foundation on the tail landing at Augusta’s airport, as well.”

If Woods does actually play, it would be his first start since a spectacular car crash in February 2021 that nearly led to the famous golfer having his leg amputated. Woods underwent numerous surgeries to repair his legs, and he played with son Charlie in a father-son tournament in December.

“You will see me on the PGA TOUR, I just don’t know when,” Woods told CBS’ Jim Nantz on the telecast of last month’s The Genesis Invitational, according to the PGA Tour.

But Woods has warned that it’s one thing to ride in a golf course and play — as he did with his son — and entirely another to walk a golf course over 72 holes. Especially Augusta National.

“Even the harshest critic would be hard-pressed to call a round at Augusta National ‘a good walk spoiled,’ but the truth is, a round at the home of the Masters is definitely a good walk—a good, long walk,” Golf.com reported in 2019. “If you’ve only ever seen the course on TV, it’s almost impossible to imagine just how hilly and undulating (and we’re not talking about the greens here) the terrain can be.”

“Combine that with four consecutive days of tough, pressure-packed golf, and it’s easy to see why—at least as far as aerobic exercise is concerned—the Masters is a ‘tradition unlike any other.’ It also highlights just how impressive a Masters win is for players like Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, Sam Snead, Mark O’Meara and Ben Hogan, all of whom won the tournament in their golf-rickety forties,” the site said.

Hogan famously came back from a devastating car crash, winning the Masters twice after suffering a double-fracture of the pelvis, along with fractures to his collar bone and left ankle.

Joseph Curl has covered politics for 35 years, including 12 years as White House correspondent, and ran the Drudge Report from 2010 to 2015. Send tips to [email protected] and follow him on Twitter @josephcurl.

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