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AUGUSTA, Ga. — Elvis entered the building Sunday at Augusta National.
Tiger Woods, inside the flesh and less than 14 months removed from the grisly one-vehicle crash he became in outside of Los Angeles in February of 2021, flew in his non-public jet to Augusta on Sunday afternoon and began training to play the Masters this week.
By 3:21 p.m. Sunday, Woods turned into on the exercise grounds flushing photographs as though he’d never sustained injuries intense enough that his right leg almost needed to be amputated.
After an outstanding 19-minute ball-hanging session — running his way from wedges, to long irons to 3-timber and in the end driving force — Woods, accompanied with the aid of his caddie, Joe LaCava, and close pal and adviser Rob McNamara, became taken by way of cart to the 10th tee to play some holes, probably the again nine.
Reporters, who had been approved inside the exercise area, have been not authorized at the golf direction to comply with Woods’ spherical.Tiger Woods says he’s “a game-time decision” for the 2022 Masters.Getty Images
After nearly five days of silence when you consider that he created a stir by means of displaying up at Augusta to play an 18-hole exercise spherical together with his son, Charlie, Woods in the end spoke on Sunday — together with his appearance and with his golf equipment.
He’ll communicate officially at eleven a.m. Tuesday, after being introduced to the pre-tournament interview agenda.
Woods, the 5-time Masters winner, delivered this message via his Twitter account Sunday morning and it got here with a caveat.
“I might be heading as much as Augusta today to continue my education and exercise,” Woods wrote. “It could be a sport-time choice on whether I compete.”
Woods, in his submit, went directly to congratulate 16-yr-antique Anna Davis on “an awesome win” on the Augusta National Women’s Amateur and “proper good fortune to all the kids within the @DriveChipPutt” which was taking area Sunday.
Woods’ tack — the “recreation-time selection” component — is steady with how he’s gone out of his way to mood expectations inside the few instances he’s spoken publicly because the crash.
As lots as Woods attempts to tamp down the expectancies, they’ll be strolling wild all week. Billy Horschel, the No. 13 ranked player within the international, turned into at the range rapt at the same time as watching Woods hit balls and described himself as “giddy” by what he witnessed.Tiger Woods gambling along with his son Charlie on the PNC Championship in Orlando on Dec. 19, 2021.Getty Images
“I haven’t seen him hit balls in two years,” Horschel informed two newshounds, Evin Priest from Australian Golf Digest and Sean Martin from PGATour.com. “He gave the look of Tiger to me. He regarded suitable. His swing seemed exact. It didn’t look like there was any loss of (swing) pace. He could nonetheless hit it high, hit photographs.
“Did he appear to be the 20-some thing Tiger? No. But he seemed just like the Tiger we noticed earlier than the coincidence, in my view, the manner the swing regarded and the rate.”
Woods final competed in a PGA Tour occasion at the 2020 Masters. He, of path, ultimate won at the 2019 Masters.
Woods’ journey to Augusta become a sure sign that he believes his golfing sport is right enough to win a sixth inexperienced jacket and tie Jack Nicklaus for the most ever.
The journey was basically to peer how his leg and his stamina might preserve up on foot 18 holes at Augusta, that’s a mainly hilly and hard walk.
Woods manifestly felt his body become able to face up to the physicality it took Tuesday that he changed into lower back on Sunday to prepare to compete. It appears best an sudden physical setback in the subsequent couple of days will maintain him from teeing it up for Thursday’s establishing round.
Woods’ presence this week will overwhelming. Think returned to the hysteria of his 2019 win and multiply it by using lots.
“For him to even be right here this week, and with any luck be playing — which I think he is — I assume we’re all giddy approximately it,’’ Horschel said. “It’s quite interesting.’’
