Whether or not Tiger Woods was going to compete in this year’s Masters Tournament was a central storyline and for good reason. It was his first tournament since the he was involved in a single-vehicle car accident in February 2021 that nearly cost him his right leg.
When it became clear he was going to compete, he was transparent with the uphill battle he was facing. Just walking on the course in Augusta was painful for him. However, golfing legend Jack Nicklaus peeled back the curtain on what Woods said at the Masters dinner, the event exclusive to only past Masters winners, regarding why he decided to play in the Masters.
“Why in the world would I wait a year to play if I know I’m gonna hurt both years,” Nicklaus recalled Woods saying during an interview on PGA Tour Radio, per Golf Magazine’s Dylan Dethier. “Why don’t I just get back and start playing and just suck it up.”
If Nicklaus’s recollection is accurate, this is a sobering reality check for Woods and his supporters. It doesn’t sound like he’s optimistic the pain will improve even in a year’s time, but he put that aside and still competed. He finished 47th place at 13-over par, 23 shots behind the winner Scottie Scheffler.
