Tiger Woods: 14 months later, the long -awaited comeback

After three rounds of 9 holes as practice, Tiger Woods is ready to return to the competition Augusta Masters just fourteen months after his tragic car accident in February 2021 outside Los Angeles. This will be his first official tournament since the 2020 Masters played in November of that year. The player himself said he doesn’t make plans beyond each day and certainly wants to test himself this Wednesday before making a final decision.

The expectations raised by the Californian are intact, with real legions of fans following him on the legendary Augusta National field. He was already on the tee of 1 Tiger he showed his flexibility and physical fitness, although it is true that as the holes progressed he was seen walking with more difficulty and even did so with extreme caution on many of the slopes of the course.

In the absence of new statements, those made on Tuesday at a press conference in which he stated “now I’m ready to play. If I don’t believe I’m going to win, I’m not here.”

The five -time Augusta champion put an end to his preparations for this week by playing his last nine holes with the 1992 Masters champion, couple fredand number seven in the world, justin thomas. The scene was more like the final round of a ‘major’ than a training session before the tournament, because, as we say, the public lined the field from tee to green at every hole to see Woods, which makes 14 months. many thought he would never fight again. On the 16th hole, he entertained the spectators by joining a tradition of Masters training sessions, which was nothing but hitting the ball so that it hit the green bouncing on the lake.

The couple, the only ones to arrive, said after the round that Woods hit the ball far enough to play at Augusta National and seemed to play more than he had the week before. “Tiger is Tiger. I said on Monday, that he’s not like many of us, that he was injured even though he’s 35 years old and he’s going to play just to play. He’s not going to do that. He’s won a lot of times. He’s going to jump and will be ready to win the tournament. “

Woods ’win would make him the oldest Masters champion, three weeks before Jack Nicklaus, winner of 18 majors, and winning his sixth Green Jacket in 1986. Tiger starred in one of the sport’s most popular professional comebacks in, at age 43, he won the Masters in 2019 after enduring years of surgery and personal problems that convinced many to end up being the greatest golfer of his generation.

This Thursday at 10:34 am American time is H hour; next to South Africa Louis Oosthuizen and the Chilean Joachim Niemann The game will start, sure, more often than all day.

Yes, with the permission of Hideki Matsuyama, defending the first title achieved by Japanese golf in the last edition (and indeed in a Grand Slam) and on Tuesday night entertained the remaining champions at a typical Japanese dinner. “Exquisite” in the words of Txema Olazabal. Basque explained that Hideki made his speech for the first time in English.

And also from Jon Rahm. Biscayan, who discovered himself against Tiger – “he is unique, capable of mobilizing the masses like the rest of us can’t” – came to his sixth Masters ready to complete a good career. At 27 years old, the golfer from Barrika is preparing for his twenty -first ‘major’ after becoming the first Spaniard to win the US Open in June 2021 in Torrey Pines (California), and occupied first place in world golf for 43 consecutive. week.

Yesterday Rahm was hit by Augusta National when he shared an emotional video on his social media profiles recalling the five victories of the Spaniards in Augusta: Seve in 1980 and 1983, Olazabal in 1994 and 1999 and Sergio García in 2017. In just three minutes, photos and objects belonging to the Spanish players who won the tournament are displayed. And the Basque, which is not made of stone, was touched. He could hardly contain his excitement, especially when he was shown one of the Green Jackets that Augusta National keeps in its museum embroidered with Seve Ballesteros ’name. A nice gesture from the organization of the tournament to a player who wants to be the fourth Spaniard to win the Masters. History, tradition and heritage.