Exciting news for golf fans: all signs point to Tiger Woods teeing off at the Masters next week. But there's a burning question on everyone's mind: how will his body hold up? His longtime friend and former Stanford teammate, Notah Begay III, revealed that Woods is facing significant challenges. Despite having zero mobility in his left ankle and serious back issues, Woods is determined to play.
At a junior golf tournament hosted by Begay, where Woods's son Charlie played, Woods confided, "my ankle doesn’t move. So something’s going to take the stress. I mean, the stress is going to transfer somewhere else." He anticipated that the stress could affect his knee or hip, but the pain primarily manifests in his back. Woods had to withdraw from the Genesis Invitational due to a back injury sustained during the first round.
In February 2021, Woods was involved in a serious car accident that almost led to the amputation of his lower right leg. This accident, on top of his existing injuries, has made walking a challenge for him.
"For the past couple of months, he’s been trying to find a way to recover," Begay explained. "He can play the golf. We always knew the question was going to be ‘Can he walk the 72 (holes)?’ That’s still up in the air. But can he recover from one round to the next? That’s the biggest question that I really don’t know and he’s not going to know either until he gets out there and figures out whether the way he’s prepared for this year’s Masters is going to work for him.”
According to Sports Illustrated, Woods recently played Augusta National with his friend Justin Thomas and club chairman Fred Ridley. Woods has a remarkable record at Augusta, with five victories. His most recent win, in 2019, came more than a decade after his last major victory. Although he made his 23rd consecutive cut at Augusta last year, he had to withdraw due to plantar fasciitis.
"I think playing on the weekend would be a win, a win-win," commented ESPN's Andy North. "He's going to tell you that he's there because he thinks he can win the tournament, but to be realistic, what he's gone through, you wouldn't wish on your worst enemy. What he has to do to get ready to go out and try to play golf every single day is very, very difficult."
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