It’s happening!
Yes, according to the former world No. 1 Tiger Woods tweeted earlier today that he will, in fact, play in next week’s Masters.
“I’m playing in the Masters,” Woods said on his website. “It’s obviously very important to me, and I want to be there.
“I’ve worked a lot on my game and I’m looking forward to competing. I’m excited to get to Augusta and I appreciate everyone’s support.”
Through this publication we gave notice earlier in the week about Woods’ Golfstream 5 aircraft being spotted parked in the regional airport in Augusta, Ga., now, he’s confirmed to play. Woods arrived at Augusta National on Friday for a second practice round this week. His appearance comes right on the heels of a reported 2-over 74 in a Tuesday practice round.
It’s not exactly clear what Woods did with his time while on Augusta National grounds on Friday, but perhaps it was something that helped him make up his mind– and influenced his decision to play.
Woods, a 14-time major winner, hasn’t played competitively since Feb. 5, when he withdrew after 11 holes in Round 1 of the Farmers Insurance Open. He was at 2 over when he withdrew, stating that he had back pain.
On Feb. 11, on his website, Woods announced that he would take a hiatus from the game, saying that he would not be playing again until his game was “tournament ready.”
Woods did not play in The Honda Classic located right in his hometown of Jupiter, Fla., he also did not qualify for the WGC-Cadillac Championship and, did not play in the Arnold Palmer Invitational, a tournament that he has won eight times.
Four Masters wins are in Woods’ pocket, historic victories that have made him the most recognizable golfer in the world. However, he hasn’t won the tournament again since a 2005 playoff victory over Chris DiMarco.
Well, no one knows for sure if he will will next week’s competition or not, but it will be good to hear the crowd ‘roar’ again when Woods makes his entrance on the green.
“Many of our readers are strong, passionate fans of Tiger,” says Debert Cook, publisher of African American Golfer’s Digest whose magazine will host its third annual Augusta GolfFEST tournament on Friday, April 10 at the Augusta Municipal Golf Course. “We plan to have a great time in Augusta, and we sure are rooting for Tiger– and for his continued health improvement.”
THE FACTS:
-It’s been ten years since Tiger’s last Masters win
-It’s been 19 months since his last PGA Tour win
-He’s only play 47 holes on the PGA Tour this year
-His world golf ranking is at 104, previously he held the top spot for a record 683 weeks
Some fans have their doubts about his performance for next week, wondering if he’re really ready (physically and mentally) for the tough competition. But despite the long lag in wins, Woods is showing the world the he is not one to give up.
