Tiger Woods doesn’t have many Masters left, but he still has plenty at stake at Augusta

The deep history between The Masters and Tiger Woods is winding down.

As golf mortality battles the 47-year-old Woods and his body, it’s unclear how many times Tiger can continue to play his most famous event. Playing a limited schedule since returning from his 2021 car accident, Woods is mainly training in the hopes of winning major No. 16.

Optimism for at least a competitive weekend for Tiger at Augusta grew after February’s Genesis Invitational. A made cut and top-45 finish gave fans a glimpse of Woods hitting a variety of deep drives, impeccable approaches, and timely putts. Hosting and playing in only his fourth official event since returning from the accident, the Genesis was Tiger’s most complete effort in his latest comeback. Even more importantly, Woods looked more physically capable of competing through a four-round event.

But even as enthusiasm for one more special Tiger run at Augusta builds, the reality is time not being on his side.

Woods has maintained transparency about his limited competitive window and how his body doesn’t have much time. That message was reiterated again by Woods on Tuesday. “I don’t know how many more I have in me,” he said.

After five Green Jackets and decades worth of memories, 2023 might be the last time we get Tiger – at least at this competitive level – at The Masters.

So where do things stand entering the week?

During Woods’ solid weekend at the Genesis in February, the -4 third-round effort was particularly notable. Playing the weekend for the first time since miraculously making the cut at last year’s 2022 Masters, Woods maintained an above-average ball speed off the tee and was ninth in strokes gained, tee-to-green in a loaded event.

After struggling to back-to-back 78s during the weekend at Augusta last year, failing to finish the weekend in the ensuing PGA Championship and missing the cut at the Open Championship, the Genesis showed that Woods’ physical health and pre-event preparation were inching closer to keeping him in play for a full weekend.

“I think my game is better than it was last year at this particular time,” Woods said Tuesday. “I think my endurance is better. But it aches a little bit more than it did last year just because at that particular time when I came back, I really had not pushed it that often. And I had a little window in which I did push it and was able to come back.”

“I can hit a lot of the shots, but the difficulty for me is going to be the walking going forward. It is what it is. I wish it could be easier.”

Most of the shots are seemingly within play in the Tiger arsenal. It’s the rolling hills of Augusta National that becomes the major question. At 7,545 yards (thanks in-part to the rollback of the 13th tee), Augusta National is the eighth longest rotation course on the yearly PGA Tour calendar. Television broadcasts have done a better job in recent years of showing angles that capture the extreme elevation changes that Augusta has to offer. The drop from the 10th teebox to the 11th green alone is over 100 feet of walking downhill.

During a potentially cold, windy and wet weekend, walking up and down hills, while staying loose, could be a notable factor in where Woods finds himself on the leaderboard.

“If he didn’t have to walk up these hills and have all of that, I’d say he’d be one of the favorites,” practice round partner Rory McIlroy said Tuesday. “He’s got all of the shots. It’s just that physical limitation of walking 72 holes, especially on a golf course as hilly as this.”

Positive play at the Genesis Invitational also triggered questions about Woods and his ongoing schedule for 2023 and beyond.

Four majors was always discussed publicly by Woods, since his comeback last year, as the core benchmark of his schedule. But playing a regular PGA Tour event like the Genesis Invitational raised questions about a potentially-refreshed Woods looking to prepare before majors at other events.

But as Woods skipped over old favorites like Bay Hill and big events like the Players’ Championship during March, it became clear that Woods is adhering to a mostly-majors schedule for now.

“My mobility is not where I would like it, but I’m very lucky to have this (right) leg,” Woods said Tuesday. “Yes, it has been altered and there is some hardware in there, but it’s still mine. It has been tough and it always will be tough.

“Mobility and endurance and what my leg will do going forward will never be the same. I understand that. It’s one of the reasons I can’t prepare and play in as many tournaments as I’d like. That’s my future and that’s okay. I’m okay with that.”

In his older years on Tour, Woods has frequently shown appreciation for the game and giving back to it. That theme is all over Tiger’s schedule this week at Augusta National.

Monday’s practice round was spent with Rory McIlroy, Fred Couples and 20-year-old Tom Kim. Tuesday’s press conference saw Woods speak glowingly about his younger years at Augusta playing with more experienced legends like Couples, Raymond Floyd, Seve Ballesteros and Jose Maria Olazabal.

Tiger’s new impact on Augusta comes in showing tricks and unique ways to take angles to the next generation that will continue to play the course after his retirement. It used to be Tiger getting signatures from Arnold Palmer after an ace in front of him at the Masters Par 3. Now Tiger is the legend playing with current No. 1 caliber players as he did with Jon Rahm during the 2022 Masters final round.

Cross-generational moments involving Woods become increasingly rare during his limited time in the Augusta National spotlight. For now, there are fun and memorable moments like Woods, McIlroy, Couples and Kim skipping the 16th green during a practice round.

Round 1 - Thursday

Group 12: Tiger Woods, Viktor Hovland, Xander Schauffle - 10:18 a.m. ET

Round 2 - Friday

Group 27: Tiger Woods, Viktor Hovland, Xander Schauffle - 1:24 p.m. ET