The Masters takes place this week, and Tiger Woods won’t be there. The five-time Masters champion is currently at home recovering from the injuries he suffered during a car crash in February. Justin Thomas recently spoke to reporters about Woods and said the golf legend is not happy he’s not competing for another green jacket.
“He said it’s kind of starting to set in,” Thomas said, who has been texting Woods. “He’s bummed he’s not here playing practice rounds with us, and we hate it, too.” Woods is also not expected to attend the Champions Dinner hosted by Dustin Johnson. In 2020, Woods hosted the event, which was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Thomas is not the only golf star to talk about Woods. Rory McIlroy said he visited Woods at his home on March 21. “It was good to see him in decent spirits and actually not as … like when you hear of these things and you look at the car and you see the crash, it’s like, you think he’s going to be in a hospital bed for six months,” McIlroy said. “But he was actually doing better than that.”
McIlroy also said that Woods is going to be missed by many who are competing in the Masters. “Any time Tiger Woods tees it up in a golf tournament, it’s better,” McIlroy stated. “It’s better for the tournament. It’s better for the players that are involved. It’s better for everyone. Unfortunately, he’s not here this year. Hopefully, if his recovery goes well, who knows, he could be back in 12 months’ time. But, yeah, he’s always missed when he doesn’t play in these big events.
“I know he’s at home and he’s fully focused on the recovery process, and I feel like he’s mentally strong enough to get through that,” McIlroy continued. “And once he does, broken bones heal, and he’s just got to take it step by step.”
Woods, 45, underwent several hours of surgery after the single-car crash in the Los Angeles area. Doctors said Woods suffered “significant orthopedic injuries” to his lower right leg and ankle. The accident occurred a couple of months after Woods had surgery on his back. It was the fifth procedure done on his back since 2015.
