2022-masters-tiger-woods-announces-he-plans-to-play-as-of-right-now

2022 Masters: Tiger Woods Announces He Plans to Play ‘as of Right Now’

Golf superstar Tiger Woods just announced that he plans to play at The Masters in Augusta, Georgia, “as of right now.”

Two days, ago, Woods tweeted out that whether or not he would participate in the Masters this year would be a last-minute call. “I will be heading up to Augusta today to continue my preparation and practice. It will be a game-time decision on whether I compete,” Woods tweeted on Sunday.

He got into a horrible car accident last year that put his golfing future at stake. For the past few days, reports say he’s been walking the course’s hills to see if his body can handle the physical demands of the Masters. But in an interview with CBS Sports a few minutes ago, Tiger Woods declared he does intend to play.

“As of right now, I feel like I am going to play,” he says in the interview. Woods also added that he’s going to play nine more holes tomorrow, on Wednesday, and make the final decision then. See the video below.

According to Yahoo! News, interviewers then asked Tiger Woods if he thinks he can win the Masters this week if he plays. “I do,” he answered.

Woods added, “I can hit it just fine. I don’t have any qualms about what I can do physically from a golf standpoint. It’s now, walking’s the hard part. This is not an easy walk, to begin with. Now given the condition that my leg is in, it gets a little more difficult. And 72 holes is a long road. It’s going to be a tough challenge and a challenge that I’m up for.”

That’s why he arrived ahead of time to practice walking the course and hitting a few holes. “It’s great to be back,” Woods said.

If He Plays in the Masters, This Will Be Tiger Wood’s First Tournament Appearance Since 2020

Tiger Woods last competed against the world’s greatest golfers in the 2020 Masters. The pandemic-delayed event took place in November 2020, a few months before a serious car wreck nearly took his leg.

Woods received back surgery early on in 2021, and as he was recovering from that, got into a horrific car accident. The crash damaged his leg and ankle so badly that doctors considered amputation, per Yahoo! News. Instead, they placed a rod in his tibia, using screws and pins to stabilize injuries in other parts of his leg.

Tiger Woods has had a slow, painful recovery over the last 14 months. He’s only competed in one golf tournament since the injury, playing in the PNC Challenge with his son, Charlie. For that event, he was able to use a golf cart to move around the course. But the Masters would require him to walk all 72 holes.

Check back in tomorrow to hear Tiger Wood’s final decision about playing in the Masters.