Tiger Woods is still listed in the field for the Masters with less than two weeks to go until the first major of 2022.
Speculation continues as to whether the 46-year-old is able to play at Augusta National, as he continues his recovery from a car crash that led to him requiring surgery on open fractures to his right leg and initially led to the possibility of an amputation.
Woods returned to the golf course in December at the PNC Championship alongside his son Charlie, though that was a two-day event where he was able to use a golf cart to move around.
On the Masters’ official website, 16 former champions are listed as not competing at the tournament, which starts on April 7. Those include Phil Mickelson, who announced he is taking a break away from the sport after his controversial comments regarding the Saudi-backed Super Golf League.
However, Woods is not one of those, keeping open the possibility that he could tee it up at Augusta.
While Scottie Scheffler moved to the top of the world rankings on Monday after winning the WGC Match Play, Woods dropped another 27 places and is now 944th in the world.
That is no surprise of course, with his last competitive appearance coming at the November Masters in 2020, when his defence of the Green Jacket was delayed due to Covid. He finished in a tie for 38th.
Speaking at the Genesis Invitational, which he hosted in February, Woods revealed that being able to walk a golf course was still a significant obstacle, which is particularly problematic when considering how hilly Augusta National is.
“I’m still working on the walking part. It takes time,” Woods said.
“What’s frustrating is not (being) at my timetable. I want to be at a certain place but I’m not. I’m getting better, yes, but not at the speed and rate that I would like.
“I have seen progress, I am a lot stronger than I was. I can play weekend warrior golf, that’s easy, but to be able to be out here and play six rounds of golf - practice round, pro-am, four competitive days - I’m not able to do that yet.
“I can walk on a treadmill all day, that’s easy, there’s no bumps in the road. But walking on a golf course where there’s undulations, I have a long way to go.”
