Tiger Woods is the owner of five green jackets and myriad memories from his 24 previous competitions in the Masters Tournament.
On Tuesday, Woods told reporters that he doesn’t know how many more opportunities he’ll have to capture a sixth championship at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Ga.
“Last year I didn’t know if I was going to play again at the time,” the 47-year-old Woods said, referring to his return to competitive golf following a gruesome car accident that left his right leg and foot in dire shape.
“For some reason, everything kind of came together and I pushed a little bit and was able to make the cut, which was nice.
“I don’t know how many more I have in me, so (I want to) just be able to appreciate the time that I have here and cherish the memories.”
While Woods admitted his mobility isn’t to his liking, he has opted to take a more grateful outlook on life.
“I’m very lucky to have this leg; it’s mine,” Woods said. “Yes, it has been altered and there’s some hardware in there, but it’s still mine. It has been tough and will always be tough. The ability and endurance of what my leg will do going forward will never be the same. I understand that. That’s why I can’t prepare and play as many tournaments as I like, but that’s my future, and that’s OK. I’m OK with that.”
Woods, however, insists that he’s as competitive as ever.
“The overall desire to win has always been there,” Woods said. “And I’ve always worked at it and believed in what I could do.”
Woods recently has battled plantar fasciitis and last competed in the Genesis Invitational in Los Angeles, where he made the cut and shot 1-under 283.
Woods will tee off on Thursday with Xander Schauffele and Norway’s Viktor Hovland with the group that will start at 10:18 a.m. ET for Round 1 and 1:24 p.m. ET for Round 2.
Scottie Scheffler, the defending champion, will join Max Homa and amateur Sam Bennett in a group that starts at 1:36 p.m. ET on Thursday.
–Field Level Media