Major champion talks up Tiger Woods’ Masters hopes

With exactly three months until Masters Sunday, it’s anyone’s guess how Tiger Woods will fare at Augusta National.

Woods, 49, has teed it up only five times in the last 12 months, most recently at the PNC Championship in December.

It was only two weeks after he pulled out of the Hero World Challenge, however, explaining that his game was not ready to test against the best in the world.

Despite all of that, former US Open champion Gary Woodland is confident that Woods cannot just make a run, but claim a sixth green jacket, too.

“He knows that golf course so well, he can play his way around that place blind, Woodland told Golfweek at the Sony Open.

“His speed looked good; he hits it hard still. I wish he’d just get in a cart because if he can walk it, I’ve seen him hit enough balls. He still has all the shots.

“I saw him a month before and he came out and rode around with us and chipped and putted every hole and was moving pretty good. [And] he looked really good at the PNC.

“It wouldn’t surprise me if he wins another one.”

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A win would add another stripe to his Sun Day Red logo and mark a first major win since the Masters in 2019.

Woods, however, finished 60th in the Masters last year after only playing 24 holes of competitive golf in the buildup.

He withdrew during the second round of the Genesis Invitational in February and it’s unclear whether he will compete in next month’s edition.

The Players Championship and the Arnold Palmer Invitational, both held in March, are other possible return options for the 82-time PGA Tour winner.

Meanwhile, his recent run is cause for concern, according to Billy Horschel, who is less optimistic of another Masters triumph.

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“I’d never count him out,” Horschel said. “He’s Tiger Woods.

“But he’s five years older and I would be hard-pressed to say he will (win another major) unless he’s healthy enough.”

Fans will see Woods in action this week, albeit not over 72 holes, as he makes his TGL debut on Tuesday.

John Turnbull A graduate of the University of Stirling, John joined the bunkered team in 2023 as a Content Producer, with a responsibility for covering all breaking news, tour news, grassroots content and much more besides. A keen golfer, he plays the majority of his golf at Falkirk Golf Club. Top of his 'bucket list' is a round of Pebble Beach... ideally in the company of Gareth Bale.