Tiger Woods Might Begin Surprise Comeback at The Masters

Tiger Woods’ time as a full-time golfer may be over, but his first event in a limited capacity could be next week’s Masters.

On Tuesday, Woods flew from his home in Florida to play a full practice round at Augusta National with his son Charlie and fellow PGA Tour star Justin Thomas, according to multiple reports.

Just 13 months after nearly losing his right leg in a car crash, a record-tying sixth green jacket may seem unlikely (+4000) — but if he can withstand the rigors of the hilly course, it’s not inconceivable to see him on Sunday, right where he staged his last great comeback.

• In 2019 following back surgery, Woods had dropped to No. 1,199 but won the Masters, ending his 11-year major drought.
• His last official PGA Tour event was at Augusta in Nov. 2020, where he finished T-38 and took home $50,600.
• He’s the PGA Tour’s all-time money list leader ($120.9M), and trails Jack Nicklaus by three majors.
• The 46-year-old has dropped to No. 944 in the world rankings, though he’s made the Masters cut 22 of 23 times.

He hasn’t confirmed he’ll play, but the 15-time major champion is listed among the 91 participants for Augusta — and CBS, which will broadcast the third and fourth rounds, certainly hopes Woods features. 

While the Sunday ratings for the 2021 Masters (5.5, 9.45M viewers) were up from the previous year (3.4, 5.59M), they paled in comparison to Woods’ triumphant appearance in 2019 (6.9, 10.81M).