Tiger Woods is expected to return to the golf course at The Masters at the Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia Thursday. It has been less than two years since Woods almost lost his right leg in a car crash, but Woods says he is ready to play. Woods’ first-round tee time is scheduled for 10:34 a.m. on Thursday. He is grouped with Louis Oosthuizen and Joaquin Niemann, reports CBS News.
The 2022 Masters Tournament is played over four rounds, ending Sunday, April 10. CBS Sports will start coverage on Thursday at 8:30 a.m. ET. Third-round coverage will air on local CBS stations beginning Saturday at 3 p.m. ET. Final-round coverage begins Sunday on local CBS stations at 2 p.m. ET. The Masters coverage is also available to stream live at CBSSports.com, the CBS Sports App, and Paramount+. CBS Sports will also publish live updates.
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On Tuesday, Wood said he feels ready to compete in The Masters, just 17 months after his car accident. “As of right now, I feel like I’m going to play,” the Golf Hall of Famer said, reports CBS News. He also believes he can win the tournament.
“I can hit it just fine,” Woods told reporters. “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.”
This is the first time Woods is competing against today’s best golfers since November 2020, when the pandemic-delated Masters wrapped. The 2022 Masters will be his 24th time in the tournament. He won the Masters in 1997, 2001, 2002, 2005, and 2019. Woods needs one more to tie Jack Nicklaus’ record six Masters victories. Hideki Matsuyama won the 2021 Masters and is hoping to defend his title.
Woods was recovering from his fifth back surgery when he almost lost a leg in a Feb. 23, 2021, car crash in Los Angeles. He was speeding as fast as 87 miles per hour in an area known to be dangerous for drivers, police said. Woods’ doctors reportedly considered amputating his right leg, but they saved it using a rod in his tibia and screws and pins to stabilize his ankle and foot injuries.
