After a considerable hiatus, Tiger Woods made an early morning appearance at the Augusta National Golf Club on Monday for his practice session.
At 8am ET, the event’s five-time victor made his arrival on the range, much to the delight of those present early. Prior to his accident that almost resulted in him losing a leg, this golfing icon used to frequently arrive just after sunrise while perfecting his skills en route to becoming an unbeatable champion. However, Woods has since slowed down with regards rising early due to said incident.
An unnamed security guard at the range, responsible for keeping customers in line, disclosed that Woods used to show up around 11am ET regularly to practice and improve his skills. However, after startling everyone by arriving unexpectedly at 8 am one day, the staffer – who has been on duty since 2016 – expressed surprise: “I have never seen him this early before,” he informed MirrorSport.
Out of all the major tournaments, The Masters holds a special place in Woods’ heart as it is usually his top priority to compete in. However, during last year’s third round at age 48, he had no other choice but to withdraw due to physical inability.
Woods underwent ankle fusion surgery and has been gradually recovering his game. He re-entered the field at the Hero World Challenge, where he competed across four days. However, he encountered a substantial setback when forced to drop out of The Genesis Invitational in February.
The 15-time major winner attributed his struggle to the flu rather than a physical condition. Nevertheless, it is uncertain how well Woods will fare at Augusta’s challenging terrain. Judging from his recent range session, he may encounter difficulties.
The security guard commented on his appearance saying that he appeared to be 48 years of age and overall gave off the impression of being sluggish. The security guard did not express much confidence in him, stating that they would not put any money on him.
In late November when making his comeback at the Hero World Challenge, Woods aimed to participate in one tournament per month. If he manages to finish all four rounds in Georgia, it would mean completing 1.5 tournaments out of a total of four successfully.
“I believe holding a tournament each month could be the optimal situation. This is achievable in my opinion,” remarked Woods during his time spent in the Bahamas towards the end of last year. “Initiating with one at Genesis and another close to Players Championship held in March would make for an appropriate beginning.”
Our current setup accommodates one major event per month. It naturally aligns with our objectives and agenda. Hence, I must prepare myself accordingly for the upcoming events. Consequently, this week is a significant milestone towards achieving my goals in that regard.
After completing his range regimen, Woods accompanied Will Zalatoris to play nine practice holes on the course. In addition, they both engaged in the customary skip shot ritual over the lake at hole 16.