Tiger Woods seems set to appear at next month's Masters after his name was added to the entry list on the official Masters website.
That will alleviate any concerns that Woods' appearance at Augusta National could be in doubt after he withdrew from the second round of last month’s Genesis Invitational with influenza and hasn't made a PGA Tour appearance since.
There had been some anticipation that Woods would appear at The Players Championship, but when that didn’t materialize, it led some to wonder if a second career appearance at this week’s Valspar Championship would happen. Once again, though, Woods wasn’t listed in the field when it was confirmed last Friday.
The fact Woods chose to skip both those tournaments was something of a surprise because, before last year’s Hero World Challenge, the 15-time Major winner had outlined an ambitious plan to play a tournament a month in 2024, including “something in March, near The Players.”
The only other PGA Tour event in March after this week’s Copperhead Course tournament is the Houston Open, but an appearance at that seems unlikely as he has never played it before.
It also seems that Woods’ Masters appearance will be his next start because the Valero Texas Open, which falls the week beforehand, is another he has traditionally skipped.
Even with the 48-year-old’s lack of competitive action in the first months of the year, there hadn’t been undue concern that he had suffered a setback in his recovery from a subtalar fusion procedure on his right ankle, which took place days after he withdrew from the third round of the 2023 Masters. That’s partly because Woods has played in one event since his Riviera Country Club withdrawal, the Seminole Pro-Member earlier this month.
While Woods will begin the tournament without the ideal preparation in terms of top-level action, he will be determined to perform well at a Major where he has triumphed five times before, most recently in 2019.
Woods' appearance will also mark his third in succession at the event after making his initial comeback at the 2022 edition following a year-long layoff after a car accident.
