Hank Haney: Tiger is “in” for The Masters, and “he can win again”

The 15-time-major champion’s former coach said if “Tiger can walk, he’s going to play The Masters,” amidst rumours Tiger is set to tee it up next week.

Haney, who was Tiger’s coach for nearly six years between 2004 and 2010, made the comments on his podcast, where he predicted Woods would make his competitive return at Augusta National next week.

“When I heard last week Tiger’s camp say it was too early to say one way or another whether he could play The Masters, that was an ‘in,’” said Haney. “That means he’s in for The Masters.”

• Tiger Woods to visit Augusta THIS WEEK

The 2019 Masters champion had been practicing at his local club, Medalist, before he jetted out to Augusta National yesterday for a practice round on the Masters layout. Haney went on to say that when he watched Tiger play in December with his son, Charlie, he could see his game was in a good spot.

“When he played with his son Charlie at the Father and Son tournament, I just thought ‘this is just a question of whether or not Tiger can walk or not. If he can walk, he’s going to play The Masters.’ And by the way, he’s going to play fine.

“He’s just too good, he’s the greatest player ever. If he can walk 72-holes, he can win again. There’s no doubt in my mind.”

• St Andrews lights up for Open countdown

In the past, Tiger has made announcements about his intention to play The Masters on the Friday before the event. As of Wednesday, he is still listed on the Masters website as a player for 2022.

In the meantime, here’s a video from The Masters to get you in the mood for next week…