For a few years, the query on everybody’s lips presently of 12 months was ‘will Tiger Woods win The Masters?’
Nowadays, that’s been downgraded to ‘will Tiger play in The Masters?’ The final time Woods teed it up in a professional occasion was the Open Championship in 2024.
He performed all 4 majors that 12 months (nothing in between) and missed the reduce within the last three. However he did make the weekend at Augusta to protect a really proud file.
Since turning professional, Tiger has teed it up in 24 Masters and made the reduce in all of them.
Though being in apparent ache within the final couple, he’s nonetheless in some way discovered a method to trend a rating and get by.
Regardless of that prolonged absence from aggressive golf, the hypothesis about Tiger taking part in on this 12 months’s Masters ramped up when he appeared for Jupiter Hyperlinks within the TGL indoor league earlier this week.
Because of the format of the event, Woods hit simply 9 photographs and 4 of these have been putts.
Nevertheless, a 3-wood that measured 272 yards and a drive that completed 318 yards down the digital fairway supplied encouraging indicators.
With this iteration of Tiger, we presume that chipping and placing aren’t an issue. However, as a result of toll of a number of accidents and surgical procedures, can Tiger nonetheless go after it and management full swings? On this proof, the reply was sure.
Interviewed straight after his TGL look, right here’s what Woods needed to say about his prospects of constructing The Masters.
“I’ve been attempting. Simply this physique is – it doesn’t get better prefer it did when it was 24, 25. It doesn’t imply I’m not attempting. I’ve been attempting for some time. I’ve had a pair dangerous accidents right here over the previous years that I’ve needed to battle by and it’s taken a while.
“However I hold attempting. I need to play. I really like the event. I’ve beloved being there since I used to be 19 years previous. It’s meant lots to me and my household through the years. I’m going to be there both method with The Loop that’s going up there (a nine-hole par-3 course he’s been concerned with -“The Loop on the Patch”), in addition to the Champions Dinner.”
And requested if he’ll go away his resolution to the Friday earlier than Masters week, Woods replied: “I don’t know, we’ll see the way it goes. I’ll be practising, taking part in at dwelling this week and hold attempting to make progress.”
So, what do others within the {golfing} world take into consideration Tiger’s possibilities of taking part in this 12 months’s Masters?
Golf365 put the query to quite a lot of main names.
Ewan Murray (The Guardian)
Will he play? I feel he’ll.
Will he make the reduce? I don’t suppose he’ll make the reduce. I concern that is rumbling in direction of a tragic, inauspicious conclusion.
James Corrigan (The Telegraph)
Will he play? Sure, he won’t be able to withstand
Will he make the reduce? The top says don’t be foolish, the guts says don’t be foolish – however, sure, I’m fooling around. By some means he’ll make his twenty fifth Masters reduce in succession.
Nick Rodger (The Herald)
Will he play? The desire he, received’t he saga about Woods taking part in within the Masters needs to be accompanied by the cliffhanging ‘doof doofs’ you get on the finale of Eastenders. It might be one other miraculous twist within the Tiger story if he made it.
A comeback at this stage, although, may be a Hogan bridge too far and I don’t see him taking part in. I’m keen to eat my formally branded Augusta hat, although.
Ben Coley (Sporting Life)
Will he play? I’ll admit to not having been glued to protection of the TGL last however Tiger’s presence there has to bode effectively for his prospects of constructing the Masters. I lean in direction of sure, having been strongly on the no facet till not too long ago. Let’s be constructive.
Will he make the reduce? We’re absolutely long gone questioning what Tiger Woods can and can’t do and I definitely received’t rule out something. Nevertheless, it’s two years since he final performed, 14 rounds since he final broke par, he was final seen ending close to final within the Open, and the share name is to say he’ll miss the reduce if taking part in. Good luck pricing up the highest seniors market, with Phil Mickelson having barely performed this 12 months.
Sam Harrop (golf songwriter, Sliced podcast)
Will he play? Sure, I feel he’ll play. Everybody is aware of how a lot he loves the event, and he’ll be determined to tee it up so long as he can swing a membership (which he clearly can after taking part in the TGL playoff finale).
Will he make the reduce? I don’t suppose he’ll make the reduce, nevertheless. Augusta is such a gruelling stroll, and the dearth of event reps needs to be a priority even for a participant of Tiger’s calibre.
Brady Kannon (Golf Betting Analyst for CBS SportsLine and Golf.com)
Will he play? I consider Tiger will attempt to play. Him taking part in somewhat bit within the TGL on Tuesday evening was in all probability a superb signal.
Will he make the reduce? Clearly, he solely has a pair extra weeks left to prepare bodily and definitely he’s a heavy favourite to overlook the reduce. I’ll go one additional and take the underneath on Tiger ending two full rounds.
Sadly, a WD earlier than Spherical 2 is full could be very doable. It’s attention-grabbing to suppose that he hasn’t performed a Tour occasion in practically two years – so has that been sufficient time for him to get better or is it that it has been so lengthy that we will determine perhaps he’s simply achieved? We need to speculate and guess to the constructive however I’m considering the good play is on the “No”.
Pat Mayo (Mayo Media Community)
Will he play? If he’s taking part in TGL, he’s taking part in Augusta.
Will he make the reduce? And ya, Tiger can shoot 72/73 in his sleep at The Masters.
Geoff Fienberg (Mayo Media Community)
Will he play? Sure, I consider Tiger Woods will play in The Masters. I’ve nothing substantial to go on right here apart from making an attempt to learn the crumbs and puzzle items of knowledge he’s dropped alongside the best way.
Will he make the reduce? I don’t consider he’ll make the reduce, which in flip has me re-thinking my opinion on if he’ll play. Many say it’s probably the most demanding walks in all of golf and he’s coming off an harm with none actual aggressive reps. If he makes the reduce it could be an accomplishment that needs to be celebrated.
Jeff Sherman (Las Vegas bookmaker, Golfodds.com)
Will he play? As bookmakers we’re all hoping he performs. Tiger all the time instructions betting curiosity irrespective of his kind or odds. Solely Tiger and his staff know if he’ll tee it up; it actually seems like 50/50 at this level. Along with his uncertainty and never having teed it up competitively since 2024 (outdoors of the TGL Closing), there was little or no assist to date on him at 500/1 for Masters outrights (we do refund non starters), however that may change with a dedication from him.
Will he make the reduce? Tiger’s Masters reduce prop (will he or received’t he make it?) is our hottest golf prop of the complete season once we can provide it, as he’s so polarizing. We get fairly a little bit of assist on each side. In recent times it has hovered round choose (50:50), and I envision if he performs, the ‘no’ will probably be an affordable favorite. As we all know Tiger performs when he says he thinks he can win, so I don’t consider we are going to see him at Augusta. If he have been to play I don’t suppose he would make the reduce.
Alex Myers (Golf Digest)
Will he play? Sure.
Will he make the reduce? No!
Sarah Stirk (Sky Sports activities)
Will he play? I don’t suppose he’ll.
Mark Townsend (Golf365)
Will he play? Sure, he received’t be capable to assist himself.
Will he make the reduce? To make the reduce with out taking part in a correct event for the reason that 2024 Open is ridiculous – however, sure, he’ll play the weekend too.
Matt Cooper (Golf365)
Will he play? I feel he would possibly play – Justin Thomas’s current feedback weren’t concerning the Masters however they may be knowledgeable by the place Woods is at.
Will he play? I don’t suppose he’d make the reduce.
In abstract, the overwhelming majority suppose, someway, Tiger will make the beginning line at Augusta.
However as for preserving that cut-streak going – the hive thoughts says no.
If Woods does certainly tee it up, eight out of 11 consider a twenty fifth straight reduce as a professional will probably be past him and he received’t make the weekend.
With out even asking them, all eight would absolutely like to be proved flawed.
