Felt leg and 47-year-old Tiger Woods will be in Augusta and steal all the flashes

The appearance of his name on the competitor list changes the mystique to any tournament. A contest with Tiger Woods nor is it the same as one without it. Although far from being the unbeatable rival of his best years, nor “the favorite”, with the mere presence of him, the American steals the sparkle from the young stars of world golf. And the 87th edition of the Augustan Masters, which launches this Thursday, will be no exception. The former world number one will once again be the star attraction of the first Major of the season and will write another chapter in his huge story on Georgia’s iconic course.

Probably – and only probably, because with Tiger you never know – this will not be one of the most successful chapters. After all, the winner of 15 titles in the sport’s top category is 47 years old, continues to struggle with problems with his right leg, which was destroyed in a car accident in February 2021, and enters the race with only one official competition in the last nine months. And even he himself acknowledged that today a victory doesn’t necessarily mean lifting the trophy.

“I can’t compete like before, but continuing to share moments and playing is fantastic,” Woods commented in the classic press conference before the tournament, in which he will play the first round, starting at 11:18 in Argentina, together with the Norwegian Victor Hovland already his compatriot xander schauffele.

“I didn’t know if I could play at this level again. The crash was hard. Being here and playing in Augusta is special. I keep the memories I have. Many things have happened to me here and I’m happy to be able to play,” he added.

Woods experienced some of the most important moments of his career in Augusta. There he made his major debut in 1995 when he was still an amateur and finished in an impressive 41st place. Two seasons later, he won his first “big” title in the magnolia and azalea fields. His historic celebration, with which he wrote the first great golden page of his impressive career.

It was 1997, at the 61st edition of the competition. A Tiger, just 21 years and 104 days old, became the youngest champion in tournament history, a feat that still stands, and the first African-American player to wear the green jacket that identifies winners.

Legend has it that there were those who didn’t want a jacket to be worn because of the color of his skin. But even if some may not have been happy, the image of Woods as champion of Augusta, a historically elitist and racist tournament, went around the world and remained forever etched in the collective memory.

The Californian set two records that day. Fewest strokes to win tournament, 270 (18 under par on course), figure improved just three years ago Dustin Johnson, with 268 (-20). And the one with the highest margin of victory (12 hits), which no one has yet managed to break.

He rediscovered himself in 2001, 2002 and 2005. And again in 2019, when he surprised by winning his 15th Major and ending a nearly eleven-year drought with no celebrations in that category. It was one of the greatest feats professional sports has ever known. Is that in those eleven years Tiger had hit rock bottom, struck down by the scandal he had been the protagonist of after admitting to adultery and a sex addiction, which had destroyed his marriage, and by a battle with his own body and problems with his back, which had led to three surgeries in three years.

His career seemed over, but he didn’t give up. He sorted out his personal life, cleaned up his self-image and focused on physical recovery, despite the fact that the question often crossed his mind “Will I ever be able to live without pain again?”. And he is back. What was your secret?

“My stubbornness. I’ve always been stubborn, I’ve never hidden it,” he assured, without turning around, at a press conference on Tuesday in Augusta. “I believe in hard work. I’ve always loved and appreciated hard work. I’ve had a lot of physical adversities, my share of surgeries and had to work hard to get back. It was tough, but the great will to win was always there. And I always believed I could do it. do it”.

Last year, Tiger gave another demonstration of that resilience. After the terrible injury of 2021, he returned to play in Augusta and experienced four unforgettable days. Not from a sporting point of view, because he achieved the worst result of his career in the Masters since that first consecration: he was 47th. But yes from a personal point of view, because completing the four rounds was a huge and unexpected victory before the start of the race. And he went away rejoiced and with a huge smile on his face.

“Making the cut last year was a win for me, because I didn’t even know if I could play again,” he acknowledged. “It was a different victory, but today the joy golf gives me is different. Before, I liked training, preparing for tournaments and taking it to competition. Now it’s more difficult, because I don’t play many events, I can spend more time with my son, making memories together, sharing moments like I did with my father. It’s great.”

“The truth is, I don’t know how many Masters I have left. So I want to enjoy my time here and treasure the memories,” concluded Woods, who will aim for another win, perhaps one of several different ones. in a tournament in which he is always the protagonist.

“My body is better, but my leg hurts more”

Tiger Woods, who could add his sixth Augusta title and equal the all-time record jack nicholashe didn’t mince words when it came to analyzing his physical condition and his level of play before the tournament.

“In terms of mobility I’m not where I’d like. Like I said, I’m lucky I still have the leg. It’s been tough and will continue to be. So the mobility isn’t the same as it was before. It’s never going to be the same again. I’ll understand and I will accept that this is my future,” he confessed.

“My game is better than last year at this point. My stamina is better. But my leg hurts more, simply because when I came back, I didn’t push it much. I can hit a lot, the problem is walking.” , has explained.

Even though I haven’t said it explicitly, he feels he has the tools to fight.

“I know this golf course. I understand how I have to play it. I know where to miss and where to hit. And that’s the key here. Playing this course helps me, I hope it helps me this weekend,” he said.

And when asked if he thinks his young rivals still consider him a threat, he launched a sentence that sounded like a warning: “Who knows. Surely nobody thought he was a threat in 2019. But it went very well.”