Five-time Masters champion Tiger Woods could be struggling to tee-up in next week’s Masters.
Woods recently returned to Augusta National for the first time since withdrawing during last year’s weather-affected third round. However, according to long-time good friend Notah Begay III, not all is good with ‘TW’.
“He’s trying to formulate a strategy and approach that he can work within given the constraints that he’s presented with. And he’s got some constraints,” Begay said in an article appearing in USA Today.
“He’s got zero mobility in that left ankle and really has low-back challenges now, which he knew he was going to have.”
That doesn’t sound too encouraging, considering Woods’ last appearance inside the ropes was in February’s Genesis Invitational when the tournament host was forced to withdraw after seven holes of the second round.
Woods did all four rounds, albeit finishing T18th among 20 competitors, in last December’s Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas and there was the 18 holes he played alongside Rory McIlroy in the Seminole annual event held the Monday ahead of the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
And more-recently, Woods returned to the ultra-private Albany course to play a round in hosting Saudi PIF Chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan on March 17th in the Bahamas though it’s hardly the preparation even the most able-bodied golfer demands ahead of a major championship.
Woods and Begay III go back to their college days at Stanford and the duo have always trusted each other as evident when Woods is believed to have relayed to Begay that “my ankle doesn’t move. So, something’s going to take the stress. I mean, the stress is going to transfer somewhere else.”
However, Begay updated Woods’ plight in his chat this week with the media.
“For the past couple months, he’s been trying to find a way to recover,” Begay added.
“He can play the golf. We always knew the question was going to be ‘Can he walk the 72 holes?’
“That’s still up in the air. But can he recover, from one round to the next? That’s the biggest question that I really don’t know and he’s not going to know either until he gets out there and figures out whether the way he’s prepared for this year’s Masters is going to work for him.”
And Ireland’s own Paul McGinley, who’ll be at the Masters for SKY, has similar concerns for Woods as he revealed when speaking with ‘Golf Magic.
“You know the hilliness and the side hill lies the physical challenges that he’s going to have around Augusta are going to be very tough on him, on top of the fact that you know he hasn’t played any golf for quite a while, really,” said McGinley.
“So I think the expectations can’t be high for that reason.”
Sadly, should Woods not tee-up next week it will be a fourth occasion this past decade there will not be that customary Augusta National opening tee introduction: “Fore please! Tiger Woods now driving.”
Leave a comment