Sure, the PGA Tour is in San Antonio this week, and we’re in the middle of the year’s first major on the LPGA schedule, but the eyes of the golf world have been squarely focused on one thing — will Tiger Woods play the 2022 Masters at Augusta National?
Although speculation has been rampant, no official word had been given by Friday morning.
But if Tiger returns, improbably, less than 14 months removed from a car crash that could have taken his life, it will mark one of the greatest comebacks the game has ever seen.
While others in the golf world have had plenty to keep them busy this week, almost everyone has had an opinion on Tiger and his potential return. Here’s a look at a few:
Rory McIlroy
Rory McIlroy hits his tee shot as Tiger Woods looks on on the 8th hole during the final round of The Northern Trust at TPC of Boston. (Photo: Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports)
“I think for golf and for the Masters tournament and for everyone, to have Tiger there would be phenomenal. I think it just adds to the event. Obviously, it does. Anything Tiger Woods does in the game of golf is heightened whenever he’s there. I mean, it would be awesome for him to be there. You know, he was there yesterday obviously and he’s trying to see what he can do. Obviously no one knows but him if he can make it around and think, you know, if he believes he can compete.
“I’ve said this so many times, but from basically March of 2017 fast forward two years and he wins the Masters and where he was with his body and what he had to do to get back to being somewhat healthy. And it’s not even being somewhat healthy, it’s also what he has to do before the round and after the round just to get himself ready to go and play golf.
“The sheer will and perseverance, yeah, it is incredible. If he comes back from this again, it’s just, he likes to prove people wrong, he likes to prove himself wrong, I think. Regardless of when he does come back, whether it’s next week or a few weeks, few months down the line, he’s a wonderful addition to the game and the game of golf is better when he’s playing and when he’s playing well.”
Sophia Popov
Sophia Popov poses with the trophy following victory in the 2020 AIG Women’s Open at Royal Troon in Scotland. (Photo by R&A – Handout/R&A via Getty Images)
“I grew up watching Tiger and he’s my favorite player always will be. He’s the inspiration for me and my career. It would be pretty exciting. I’ve been following it fairly closely. I do wish on him though that he’s fully healthy and ready to go and doesn’t start too early. I’m not that keen on seeing him too early.”
Curtis Strange
Curtis Strange and Tiger Woods, shown at the 2002 Ryder Cup (Photo: Getty Images)
“I’m so excited that he looks like he’s putting forth an effort to think about it and test his body. Is he going to play? We have no idea. But it looks like he’s testing himself, and that is a good thing, and how else would you test yourself other than to go walk and play and get up there and play some practice rounds and see if you can walk the golf course, see how the leg holds up, see how the game is.
“When you practice and walk and work out at home, it’s a different animal than when you get to the site and walk the golf course, which is the hardest walk in golf, Augusta National, and walk the golf course and put yourself in that element and that atmosphere, and I applaud him for trying because he’s got to start somewhere if he’s going to play again.
“He likes challenges, doesn’t he? This is certainly going to be a challenge. I look forward to it. I hope he plays. It’ll certainly be an exciting week.”
Kevin Kisner
Tiger Woods and Kevin Kisner share a laugh during a practice round for the 2019 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach. (Photo: Rob Schumacher-USA TODAY Sports)
“I told them over there on Tuesday to give him a golf cart. I didn’t care. Let’s just get him back out there and playing. He’s great for the Tour. He’s done fantastic things for the game. We need him back playing. Hopefully, he commits here in the next couple days and we get to see him over there at Augusta.”
Lauren Stephenson
Lauren Stephenson at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship at Hazeltine. (Photo: Thomas J. Russo-USA TODAY Sports)
“I think he wouldn’t have gone the other day if he didn’t think he had probably an 80 to 90 percent chance to compete. He’s not going to play unless he doesn’t have a chance to win. I mean now if he went home and his body felt bad yesterday. … maybe not.
“He has an aura and an effect that no one has.”
Andy North
Andy North will be part of ESPN’s coverage of the Masters.
“My hopes for Tiger through this whole process is that he can just play golf again, that he can get out and play golf and enjoy his time with Charlie and Sam on the golf course as a father and not as the former No. 1 in the world, the greatest player ever, but as a dad, that he can go out and do that.
“The glimpses we’ve seen him playing with Charlie in the Father-Son have been wonderful, and the fact that we understand that Charlie was up there yesterday and had a chance to go around with him, I think that’s fantastic.
“If he plays, that would be amazing. If he doesn’t, the process he’s going through right now is a real healing process for him in a lot of ways. It’s just exciting to see where he’s come. It’s an amazing comeback for a person that we didn’t know if he was going to make it through that night.
“To be in this position where people are actually talking about this guy might actually play in the Masters, I think that’s amazing. I answered this question earlier; if he plays golf, where do you think he could possibly play, and it would seem maybe the Open Championship because it’s St. Andrews, it’s flat and it’s an easy walk. Augusta is the last place you would have thought he could possibly play.
“I think that we’re even considering this is amazing.”
Colt Knost
Colt Knost reports on the action for Golf Channel during the 2021 FedEx St. Jude Invitational at TPC Southwind in Memphis, Tennessee. (Photo: Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)
“He’s gonna tee it up, I think. I know Joe and Tiger are close, but I don’t see Joe flying down to Florida just to carry his bag and hang out. … if he knew he wasn’t going to play, he would have already told us.”
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