‘I think I can get one more,’ Tiger declares at Masters

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - Some consider golf superstar Tiger Woods’ 2019 win at the Masters the greatest comeback in sports history.

And then a terrible car accident shattered his leg, and we all hoped he could compete again.

For a while, doctors didn’t know if he would even walk again.

But once again, he’s defied all odds.

And he said Tuesday he believed he could defy them again.

“If it really comes together, I think I can get one more,” said the five-time Masters champion.

But it’s going to be painful.

When Tiger does anything at Augusta National Golf Club, it draws a crowd.

After playing the second nine on Monday, he played the first nine Tuesday.

But we didn’t just see Tiger.

On Tuesday, he spoke.

Tiger’s always confident. But this time, he seemed extra-confident.

On Tuesday, he played with Freddie Couples and Justin Thomas, and said he’s feeling good about his chances for a green jacket.

This would be an important number, too: 6.

That would tie the record with Jack Nicklaus.

But Tiger doesn’t need another green jacket to make history.

All he has to do is make the cut.

Last year, before he withdrew from the Masters on the final day, he tied the record with Gary Player and Freddie Couples of making 23 consecutive cuts.

If he’s able to play this weekend and have 24, he’ll break that record. He says that speaks not just to his career but also to his mental Rolodex of shots he’s built out at Augusta National over the years.

“I think it’s consistency, it’s longevity, and it’s an understanding of how to play this golf course,” he said. “That’s one of the reasons why you see players that are in their 50s and 60s make cuts here, or it’s players in their late 40s have runs at winning the event – just the understanding of how to play it.”

He also talked about his ankle.

After his surgery to fuse it, he says it doesn’t hurt at all.

But he says he’s constantly in pain – in his back and his knee.

But he prefers warm, humid weather – and with the exception of Thursday, conditons during the tournament are looking better for him in that respect.

Tiger is the last person to win back-to-back green jackets.

He did that more than two decades ago – in 2001 and 2002 – but defending Masters champion Jon Rahm would sure like to break that streak.

What’s driving Tiger so hard?

“This tournament has meant so much to me and my life and my family,” he said.

“It’s been a part of my life to have won here as my first major as a pro.”

He said the whole sport remains important to him, and that’s what keeps him going.

“I love golf – I do. I played other sports growing up, but I have just always loved this sport,” he said.

“I love preparing, I love competing, I love that feeling when everything is on fire to win,” he said.

Golf has always been a huge part of his life.

“Well, it’s been my life. I started playing at 9 months, so I’ve done it pretty much my entire life,” he said. “I played my first tournament when I was 5. I have been playing tournament golf and playing golf around the world, not just here in the United States but around the world; it’s allowed me to see places that I don’t think that I would ever have gotten a chance to see, people that I’ve got a chance to meet all around the world.”

He’s had to make changes to his routine, his training and his game to keep playing. But it’s worth it.

“It’s a daily adaptation,” he said.

“My practice sessions certainly aren’t what they used to be,” he 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.”

He said he has to be more focused, and when he has a chance to get out and practice, he has to make every shot count.

“Some days, I feel really good and some days, not so much,” he said.

“I ache every day,” he said.

Copyright 2024 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.