Just in case anyone was looking for the Tiger Woods scouting report, the five-time Green Jacket winner unabashedly provided it for you.
“I hurt every day,” Woods said, smiling, when asked about his physical readiness to take on four days on Augusta National’s hilly course.
But it wasn’t the only matter-of-fact statement the 48-year old World Golf Hall of Fame served up for a room full reporters Tuesday afternoon.
Woods made it clear that, after literally limping to a Masters finish in 2022 — not far removed from surgery — and after withdrawing last year because of plantar fasciitis despite making the Masters cut, he’s not just happy to be in the number.
He intends to win.
“If everything comes together, I think I can get one more [Green Jacket],” Woods said. Then, flashing his trademark grin once again, followed it up with a question of his own.
“Do I need to describe that any more than that, or are we good?”
Woods listed a litany of aches and pains he says he works to manage. But none of them have persuaded him that it’s time to walk away from the game.
“Well, the ankle doesn’t hurt anymore,” Woods said. “It’s fused. It’s not going anywhere, so that’s fine. It’s the other parts of my body that now have to take the brunt of it. The back, the knee, the other parts of the body have to take the load of it, and just the endurance capability of walking a long time and being on my feet for a long time.”
Even if Woods doesn’t get his sixth Masters win to tie all-time leader Jack Nicklaus, he can still make history by simply making the cut. If he does make this year’s cut, it’ll be his 24th which will best Fred Couples and Gary Player by one.
And based on the observations of some of his Augusta National opponents after a Monday morning practice round with Will Zalatoris, there doesn’t seem to be anything to suggest he won’t.
“He played great today,” Zalatoris said. “He outdrove me a couple times. He’s moving as well as can be. Again, with everything he’s gone through, it’s pretty amazing to see how good he’s swinging it.”
And Woods doesn’t seem to be remotely close to hanging up his clubs anytime soon — especially when it comes to playing Augusta National.
“[Golf] has been my life,” Woods said. “I started playing at nine months [old]. So I’ve done it pretty much my entire life. I played my first tournament when I was five. This tournament has meant so much to me in my life and my family. I think I’ve been playing here for, what, 29 years now. It was the ultimate to be able to stay in the Crow’s Nest and to watch Byron [Nelson] Sam, [Snead] and Gene [Sarazen] tee off on the first hole.
“It’s been a part of my life to have won here as my first major as a pro. Hugging my dad, as you saw, then a full circle in 2019 to hug my son. It has meant a lot to my family. It’s meant a lot to me. I always want to keep playing in this.”
And he absolutely feels like he can.
Woods says that age and wear and tear on his body has altered his training and preparation.
“My practice sessions certainly aren’t what they used to be,” Woods said. “I used to live on the range or live on a short game facility and just be out there all day. That’s no longer the case. So I just have to be more focused on when I do get a chance to go out there and practice and really grind out and make every shot count because I just really don’t have the ball count in me anymore.”
But what Woods does have is confidence that he’s got enough left in the tank for another run, which is why he’s not even close to thinking retirement.
“I don’t know when that day is, when that day comes, but I still think I can [win],” he said. “I haven’t got to that point yet where I think I can’t.”
Woods will begin his quest for Green Jacket No. 6 in earnest Thursday with a 1:24 p.m. tee-off time while groups with Jason Day and Max Homa.
