Tiger Woods’ ex-coach talks up his Masters chances

He will have to wait to get his bid for a sixth green jacket underway, but it’s not all bad for Tiger Woods.

The 88th edition of the Masters was delayed by two and a half hours, as thunderstorms wreaked early havoc in Augusta, Georgia.

Initially slated to tee off at 18:24 (GMT), Woods will now head out for his opening round at Augusta National at 20:54.

But with heavy rain and strong winds likely to extend round one into tomorrow, if Woods has his hands and arms in working order, then there is no reason as to why he can’t succeed.

That is according to the 48-year-old’s former swing coach Sean Foley, who admitted he wouldn’t be surprised to see Woods compete for a record-levelling Masters win.

“As long as he has his hands and arms, I will never be surprised if his name is at the top of the leaderboard,” insisted Foley, speaking on CNN.

“The difference is now, so many of the names at the top of the leaderboard are people that he inspired. The competition he has now, he is almost responsible for.”

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In Tuesday’s press conference, Woods exuded another dose of fighting spirit, explaining that he fancies his own chances of tying Jack Nicklaus on six Masters wins.

“If everything comes together, I think I can get one more,” he said. “Do I need to describe that any more than that, or are we good?

“I love competing, and I love that feeling when everything’s on fire with a chance to win and either you do, or you don’t.”

Conditions are currently against Woods, however, as it appears likely he could face more than one round of golf on Friday.

Much has been said of the walk that possesses the biggest physical threat to his title hopes, but Foley ensures he will always be a man to fear.

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“At +10,000, you’ve got to put a tenner in there,” Foley added.

“Look, would I be surprised if he didn’t? Of course not. Would I be surprised if he did? Of course not. You can’t be surprised when he has every record in the book.”

Meanwhile, record-holder Nicklaus also backed Woods to give a bold showing. The “proof is in the pudding,” Nicklaus explained, after commencing the tournament alongside Gary Player and Tom Watson.

“Tiger is quite capable of winning …[but] he’s got a tough way to go to win,” he said. “I certainly think he’ll hit the ball well enough to do so but the physicality of walking [is a challenge].

“He’s a very special talented athlete and I wish him well.”

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.