Tiger Woods was poised to launch his boldest Masters bid yet on Thursday, a quarter-century after his 12-shot triumph at Augusta National heralded a new era in golf.
Then, the 21-year-old Woods cemented his superstar status with a record-setting victory that made him the youngest Masters winner, nabbing the first of his current 15 major titles.
His quest for No. 16 comes 14 months after Woods suffered career-threatening injuries to his lower right leg in a February 2021 single-car crash in California.
The 46-year-old, who has slumped to 973rd in the world rankings, couldn’t even confirm until Tuesday that he planned to tee it up, but make no mistake, Woods has his sights set on a record-equalling sixth Masters victory.
“I don’t show up to an event unless I think I can win it,” Woods said, expressing complete confidence in every aspect of his game.
The challenge will be simply walking the hilly, 7,510-yard Augusta National course for four straight days.
“That’s going to be the challenge, and it’s going to be a challenge of a major marathon,” said Woods, who was unable to walk for months.
Woods tees off on Thursday at 9:34 PM (Cambodia Time) alongside South African Louis Oosthuizen and Chilean Joaquin Niemann.
Scottie Scheffler, 25, arrived at Augusta ranked number one in the world after winning his first three US PGA Tour titles in the space of two months.
Spain’s US Open champion Jon Rahm, 27, can regain the number one ranking he ceded to Scheffler with a first Masters victory, one of five players who can supplant the American this week along with reigning British Open champion Collin Morikawa, US PGA FedEx Cup champion Patrick Cantlay, rising Norwegian star Viktor Hovland and Aussie Cameron Smith.
Northern Ireland’s four-time major-winner Rory McIlroy will be trying for the eighth time to complete a career Grand Slam with a Masters victory, while defending champion Hideki Matsuyama of Japan is battling fitness concerns as he tries to join Jack Nicklaus, Nick Faldo and Woods as the only players to win back-to-back Masters titles.
