Tiger Woods may be woefully short of match practice heading into the 87th Masters, but he has a secret weapon he can rely on — his deep knowledge of the intricacies of Augusta National Golf Club.
A win on Sunday would put the five-time champion on a par with Jack Nicklaus as the winningest Masters player, and also make him the oldest winner at 47. The record stands in the name of Nicklaus, who was 46 when he won in 1986.
Woods last won here in miraculous fashion in 2019 after a series of surgeries on his back and knees. He was playing more regularly then and had also won the 2018 Tour Championship. Since his horrible car accident in Los Angeles in February 2021, Woods has played only four times. The Masters last year was his comeback, and he did remarkably well to make the cut.
On Tuesday, Woods said: “A lot of it has been understanding the golf course, and I know this course. So, I’ve been able to recreate a lot of the chip shots at home in my backyard or when I am at Medalist (his home club) hitting balls, trying to simulate shots and rehearsing again and again each and every flag location, and every shot I would possibly hit.
“I’ve gone through so many different scenarios in my head. I don’t sleep very well, so going through it and rummaging through the data bank and how to hit shots from each and every place and rehearsing it; that’s the only way I can compete here. I don’t have the physical tournaments under my belt. But if there’s any one golf course that I can come back, like I did last year, it’s here.
“You look at Bernhard (Langer) and Freddie (Couples) and they are still able to compete here. They’re older guys who understand how to play this golf course. It helps them. And hopefully, it will help me this week.”
The 15-time Major champion has time and again insisted that if he feels he did not have a chance to win, he would not tee off in a tournament.
Woods, who has dropped to world No 1001, said the key would be how he handles his mobility. That would become even more crucial considering that cold and rain is expected to hit Augusta on Friday and last through Saturday.
“I think my game is better than it was last year at this particular time. 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. I had a little window that week in which I did push it and was able to do that,” said Woods.
“So, mobility is not where I would like it to be. But then, I’m very lucky to have this leg…at least it’s mine. Yes, it had been altered and there’s some hardware in there, but it’s still mine. It has been tough and will always be tough. The ability and endurance of what my leg will do going forward will never be the same, and I understand that.
“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. It is what it is. I wish it could be easier, but I’ve got three more years when I get the little buggy and be out there with Fred (in the Champions Tour).”
Woods said he was proud of his efforts last year, when he made the cut against all odds.
Asked if it was comparable to some of the stunning wins he has had, Woods said: “Well, it’s different. I didn’t win the Masters last year, but for me, to be able to come back and play was a small victory in itself.
Woods has been paired with Norway’s Viktor Hovland and American Xander Schauffele at 10:18am local time in Thursday’s opening round (7:48 pm IST).