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The Masters is next week at legendary Augusta National Golf Club and while we know one three-time champion (Phil Mickelson) won’t be playing this year, we still don’t know if the GOAT, Tiger Woods, will be teeing it up when play begins a week from Thursday in Georgia.
Imagine if he does opt in, though? The scene around the first tee would be unlike anything we’ve ever seen. It would be electric. It would be emotional. It would be just the coolest thing ever.
I’m holding out hope that it happens because I’m a fan of special times that give you goosebumps and Tiger striping one down the first fairway would certainly do that.
The rumors have been escalating this week about his possible return to a place where he’s won five times. He’s been spotted playing with his caddie, Joe LaCava, in Florida, leading many to believe – or at least hope – that he’s giving himself some serious tests to see if he’d be able to play in his first official event since his car accident in February of 2021.
Tiger suffered very serious injuries in that car accident and, quite honestly, I’m just glad he’s alive and with us after that scary morning in California.
We’ve only seen Tiger play golf once since that accident, when he teed it up with his son Charlie in the PNC Championship last December. They finished in second and Tiger showed flashes of his old self but he was also able to ride in a cart and often looked like he was in pain after hitting shots.
Playing in the Masters would be a lot different than that. He wouldn’t be able to ride in a cart and he’d have to walk a course that is extremely hilly. He suffered very serious leg injuries in his car accident and it could still be a huge challenge for him just to be able to walk 18 holes at Augusta.
The speculation has also ramped up because Tiger is still on the Masters list of players who are set to play this year. As Golfweek’s Eamon Lynch pointed out yesterday, that doesn’t necessarily mean anything because when Tiger pulled out of the Masters in 2014, 2016 and 2017 due to injuries he made the announcement the Friday before the tournament.
Chances are this won’t happen and Tiger will be watching the Masters on TV like the rest of us but I’m still holding out hope that he will be in the field. He’s given us so many great memories at this place and just being able to play again after all that he’s been through would be so damn good.
If he can’t play, it’s just nice having him in the conversation because things could have been a whole lot worse and golf is always better when Tiger is a part of things.
And then in a few months we can start getting excited about him possibly playing in the Open Championship at St. Andrews.
Quick hits: Paige Bueckers puts on a show in UConn’s win… One fan’s hilarious LeBron James investigation… Albert Pujols makes special return to Cardinals… And more.
– UConn is going to it’s 14th straight women’s Final Four after last night’s double-overtime win over N.C. State. Huskies star Paige Bueckers was unstoppable down the stretch and fans were rightfully in awe of her performance.
– A NBA fan hilariously discovered the Lakers might be doing LeBron James a favor on social media after losses.
– Albert Pujols is back for one last year with the Cardinals and he made a special return yesterday at spring training.
– The red-hot Boston Celtics could be in trouble because of Robert Williams’ knee injury.
– You need to sign up for our new daily NBA newsletter Layup Lines. It gets you ready every afternoon for the big games coming up at night and more. Signing up for it is quick and easy to do right here. You’re going to want this in your basketball lives.
