An incredible sight, Tiger Woods looks like he'll play the Masters barring setback| Opinion
AUGUSTA, Ga. — It’s 1:45 p.m. on the Monday before the Masters, three days before anyone hits a shot that matters, and spectators, dozens of them, are running to the practice green at Augusta National Golf Club.
A few minutes later, they are off to the practice chipping area. Some are in a full sprint. The rules say that there’s no running allowed on the golf course, but that went out the window the moment the man in the white hat, navy shirt and off-white pants, the man with the slight hitch in his step, showed up for practice for a tournament he really looks like he is going to try to play.
No one is obeying the no-running rule, and no one is enforcing it, not on this stunning day at the Masters. Tiger Woods, the 46-year-old, five-time Masters champion who thought he might lose his right leg after his awful car accident little more than 13 months ago, was back, and so were the throngs following him, cheering him on, hoping that this was just a prelude for what was unthinkable even a month ago: that Tiger would play the 2022 Masters.
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When Woods actually reached the first tee to play a practice round that was expected to go nine holes, Monday became Sunday at Augusta National. The crowds swelled at the first tee just as they do when the leaders tee off for the final round of the Masters on Sunday, 15-20 deep. It was an extraordinary sight for a practice round.
The masses followed him up the hill to where his tee shot landed, in the middle of the fairway, then to the first green, where the human traffic jam that occurs when any of the Sunday leaders leave the green to walk to the second tee was every bit the same bottleneck on this day.
“Great shot,” a man yelled when Tiger hit his second shot on No. 1.
“Where did it go?” asked another spectator.
“Who cares where it went,” said another.
Exactly. The thrill for them was just seeing Tiger where they never thought they would see him again. All this anticipation and happiness simply because Tiger played 18 holes in a practice round here last week and then tweeted this on Sunday: “I will be heading up to Augusta today to continue my preparation and practice. It will be a game-time decision on whether I compete.”
“Game-time decision?” The way he looked Monday, his touch around the greens, his joy at being back and the fans’ exuberance at having him back, says he’s playing Thursday, barring a setback of some sort.
The only discordant note, the only sign of caution, came when Woods had to trudge uphill — and golfers have to do a lot of that at Augusta National. Then, his shoulders drooped. His gait slowed. From behind, slightly hunched over, he looked older. You could tell this wasn’t easy for him, understandably of course.
Woods’ right leg was shattered on Feb. 23, 2021. For some time afterward, there was the fear that he wouldn’t be able to walk again. What he did here Monday was spectacular, but still, there are reminders of how hard this has been: the accident, the recovery, the rehabilitation, all of it.
It was 25 years ago that Tiger won here for the first time. He did it again in 2001, 2002 and 2005, and then there was the surprise of 2019. He has won three U.S. Opens, three British Opens and four PGA Championships. But this one, this has always been the major tournament with which he is most associated.
So he walked around the place Monday, and Augusta National welcomed him with the warmest embrace. Of course it did. He was home.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Tiger Woods has Masters in sight after Augusta National practice round
