Woods and his limp back at Masters, but for how much longer?

AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) — Tiger Woods is again on the Masters, alongside along with his slight limp. It isn’t each step, each minute. However it’s there. And as a lot {hardware} as he has in his mended proper leg, the limp figures to be with him for so long as he performs the game he as soon as dominated.

As for the way lengthy he retains taking part in Augusta Nationwide? That’s slightly tougher to foresee.

Woods conceded that every journey to the Masters — at his age (47) and with surgical procedures on each legs and his again during the last decade — makes him surprise if it’s going to be the final one.

“I don’t know what number of extra I’ve in me,” Woods stated Tuesday.

This might be his twenty fifth time taking part in the Masters, and Woods nonetheless is shocked there was a twenty fourth. He was nonetheless recovering final yr from crashing his automotive off a suburban Los Angeles street at over 85 mph, crushing bones in his proper leg so badly he stated docs contemplated amputation.

“I didn’t know if I used to be going to play once more at the moment,” Woods stated. “For some cause, every thing sort of got here collectively and I pushed it slightly bit and I used to be in a position to make the lower, which was good.”

Woods has an infinite presence at Augusta Nationwide due to his impression on the sport, to not point out the 5 inexperienced jackets he has gained, the final one in 2019. A yr in the past, the web lit up with aviation monitoring websites that adopted his flight plan to the membership for a pre-Masters scouting report.

And but now he provides this Masters a way of normalcy.

Golf has been consumed with the good divide between the institution and Saudi-funded LIV Golf, which has 18 gamers on the Masters who’re suspended from taking part in common PGA Tour occasions. There may be hypothesis how gamers on each side will get alongside.

After which there may be Woods on the Masters. Azaleas and dogwoods are in bloom. Hundreds observe him in observe rounds. And Thursday will carry a well-recognized chorus from the primary tee: “Fore please, Tiger Woods driving.”

From there, nobody is certain what to anticipate, Woods included.

“He appears good,” stated Rory McIlroy, who performed Monday with Woods, 63-year-old Fred {Couples} and 20-year-old Tom Kim. “You realize, if he didn’t need to stroll up these hills and have all of that, I’d say he’d be one of many favorites. He’s received the entire photographs. It’s simply that bodily limitation of strolling 72 holes, particularly on a golf course as hilly as this.”

Woods has matured, via time and too many surgical procedures, from the relentless champion to a guardian prepared to move alongside a few of the native information he picked up as a youthful man from {Couples} and Raymond Floyd, from Seve Ballesteros and Jose Maria Olazabal.

He nonetheless desires to compete. There can be no level in staying after the Masters Membership dinner Tuesday evening if that weren’t the case. And he nonetheless thinks he can discover slightly magic.

He has stated all over the place he has performed during the last yr — a complete of 11 rounds in 4 tournaments, one among them a 36-hole exhibition in a cart along with his son — that hitting photographs isn’t the issue. It’s attending to the subsequent one.

“Yeah, mobility, it’s not the place I would love it,” Woods stated. “I’ve stated to you guys earlier than, I’m very fortunate to have this leg — it’s mine. Sure, it has been altered and there’s some {hardware} in there, however it’s nonetheless mine. It has been powerful and can all the time be powerful. The flexibility and endurance of what my leg will do going ahead won’t ever be the identical. I perceive that.

“That’s why I can’t put together and play as many tournaments as I like, however that’s my future, and that’s OK. I’m OK with that.”

Woods discovered a small victory in simply taking part in final yr, and making the lower was a bonus. He has by no means missed the lower on the Masters as a professional, and that streak is on the road once more. Then once more, he confirmed up at Riviera in February for his first PGA Tour occasion in seven months and performed all 4 rounds.

“I feel my sport is healthier than it was final yr at this specific time,” he stated. “I feel my endurance is healthier. However it aches slightly bit greater than it did final yr simply because at that specific time once I got here again, I actually had not pushed it that usually. And I had slightly window through which I did push it and was in a position to come again.

“I simply need to be cognizant of how a lot I can push it,” he stated. “Like Rory was saying, I can hit numerous photographs however the problem for me goes to be the strolling going ahead. I want it could possibly be simpler.”

So why trouble exhibiting up?

Woods lengthy has stated there’s no level in exhibiting up if he didn’t suppose he may win. He teased with a 67 within the third spherical at Riviera. The photographs are nonetheless in there. And he is aware of Augusta Nationwide higher than any championship course he performs.

He pointed to {Couples}, who swings freely and walks casually, and nonetheless can maintain his personal. {Couples} shares the report with Gary Participant for many consecutive cuts made on the Masters with 23. Woods can tie them if he makes it to the weekend.

Woods was requested if he felt the youthful gamers to whom he passes alongside a few of his information understand him as any sort of a menace. In his 13 PGA Tour occasions since he gained his record-tying 82nd title on the PGA Tour, his greatest end is a tie for ninth. That was earlier than the automotive crash.

“Whether or not I’m a menace to them or not, who is aware of?” he stated. “Folks most likely didn’t suppose I used to be a menace in 2019, both, however sort of turned out OK.”

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