If there’s one thing history has taught us, it’s to never count out the great ones.
That includes Tiger Woods, who will tee off on Thursday morning at Augusta National in a quest to win a record-tying sixth Master title.
But Woods has been battling leg issues due to his Feb. 23, 2021 single-car accident that nearly cost him his life, and he has been counted out as a legitimate contender to win another major championship due to the limitations on his battered body.
“Whether I’m a threat or not, who knows. People probably didn’t think I was a threat in [20]19 either and that turned out OK,” Woods, who has 15 major titles on his resume, said Tuesday morning from the famed golf club in Georgia.
Woods was referring to his stunning victory at Augusta in 2019.
The 82-time PGA Tour winner underwent spinal fusion surgery in 2017 to repair his ailing back. He returned to golf in 2018 winning The Tour Championship in September against all odds and then claimed his 15th major championship seven months later in remarkable fashion.
Despite the magic that Woods often brings to the course, especially this one, there is a significant uphill battle to climb, both literally and figuratively. Augusta is a course with many hills and with Woods’ struggles to walk, the wear and tear on his surgically repaired legs will likely not make for a comfortable experience.
The surgery to repair his legs after Los Angeles County firefighters and paramedics had to use the ‘the jaws of life’ to rescue him altered the trajectory of the back end of his career. Woods nearly had to have his right leg amputated. The 47-year-old has accepted the fact that he will never be able to walk a course the same way again.
“I’m very lucky to have the leg,” Woods said. “Mobility and endurance — going forward it will never be the same. I can’t prepare and play as many tournaments as I’d like but that’s OK and I’m OK with it...
“I think the appreciation of being able to play the game. I’ve said this before, prior to back fusion I didn’t know [if I could play again]. Happened to win a major along the way. With the accident, it’s been a rough road. Again, it’s appreciation. To come here and play, it means so much. Such a special place in my heart.”
Despite the aftermath of the car wreck, Woods managed to play in the 2022 Masters and registered a +13, which was good for a 47th-place finish. With walking excluded from the equation, Augusta National has always been suited for Woods’ game, requiring the elite shot shaping that he’s displayed throughout his career. It is also the site of his first major championship in 1997.
“I think my game is better than it was last year at this particular time,” Woods said. “I think my endurance is better. But it aches a little bit more than it did last year just because at that particular time when I came back, I really had not pushed it that often. And I had a little window in which I did push it and was able to come back.
“Fast-forwarding, I didn’t really play a whole lot afterwards. Took a little bit to recover from the event. I played in February at L.A. [the Genesis Invitational] and then took a little time off before getting ready for this. I just have to be cognizant of how much I can push it. I can hit a lot of shots, but the difficulty for me is going to be the walking going forward. It is what is. I wish it could be easier.”
Woods will tee off at 10:18 a.m. Thursday and 1:24 p.m. Friday with Viktor Hovland and Xander Schauffele.
