Tiger Woods is not on-site at Augusta National this week after recently undergoing achilles surgery, which will likely rule him out for entire 2025 campaign.
He's one of a number of a past Masters champions not in the field this week and was not able to attend the Champions Dinner on Tuesday due to his injury.
Woods, a five-time winner of The Masters, turns 50 in December and will be eligible for the biggest senior events next year - and Jack Nicklaus is confident of his fellow American's prospects.
Nicklaus, one of the three Masters Honorary Starters, believes that Woods will play on the PGA Tour Champions and predicts he will "probably dominate" the over-50s section.
Nicklaus also made a slight dig at LIV Golf in the press room when asked about both Woods and Phil Mickelson, with the 18-time Major champion claiming "you never see that anymore" in regards to LIV Golf's events.
"Well, you know, I don't know what level Phil is competing at. I guess he's still playing," Nicklaus said when asked about Mickelson and Woods following the Honorary starter ceremony.
"He's playing the LIV Tour, is he? I don't know if he's playing or not. I don't know, you never see that anymore.
"But Tiger is hurt. I think Tiger will get well and Tiger will be back and play. Tiger will be 50 next year. I believe he'll probably play the Senior Tour and I believe he'll probably dominate the Senior Tour.
"Tiger is too much of a competitor to not play. I don't believe he will not play. I believe he will play. I don't think Tiger will play for money. He doesn't need money. Tiger will play for competition. He loves competition, and he's very good at it, obviously.
"Tiger has had his issues, and he's overcome most all of them each time he's had them. I fully expect him to do that again."
And is Woods closer to becoming an honorary starter than winning another Green Jacket? Nicklaus doesn't believe he thinks that way.
"Not in his mind. That's the only way I can answer that because it's got to be in his mind, not somebody else's."
Three-time Masters champion Gary Player said Woods has been "very unlucky" with his injuries, with the 49-year-old's latest setback coming after six back surgeries and multiple operations on his knees.
"Well, I think Tiger has been very unlucky to have these injuries. I mean, he was starting to play again, and you get achilles tendon and he has back problems, and golf is conducive to giving you a back problem," he said.
"I think almost everybody who plays golf long enough has a new hip or a spine operation of some kind, and some their bodies are different than others. Everybody is different, as your fingerprints are all different. So he's been unlucky."
