Tiger Woods says he “feels like I’m going to play” at the Masters, and he believes he can win.

“I don’t have any reservations about what I can accomplish physically in terms of golf,” he said Tuesday during a press conference commemorating the 25th anniversary of his epic triumph at the 1997 Masters, in response to a question about whether he can win the event.
Woods is set to tee off at 10:34 a.m. ET Thursday for the first round of the 2022 Masters in Augusta, Georgia.

Woods is set to tee off at 10:34 a.m. ET Thursday for the first round of the 2022 Masters in Augusta, Georgia.
The 15-time major winner has been out of the game for nearly a year after suffering catastrophic leg injuries in a vehicle accident in February 2021.
“Right now, I feel like I’m going to play,” Woods said, putting an end to weeks of suspense. “For the time being.”

Woods, 46, was sighted playing a few practise rounds at Augusta National, including one on Monday, fueling speculation of a comeback.
“I’ve put in a lot of effort,” Woods added. “My crew has been incredible. I’ve been fortunate to have amazing doctors, physical therapists, and physiotherapists who have worked on me almost every day. And we’ve worked very hard to get here… It’s been a long, difficult year.”

Woods is in the same group as South Africa’s Louis Oosthuizen and Chile’s Joaquin Niemann. The second round is set to begin at 1:41 p.m. ET on Friday.
His stunning comeback comes 25 years after his first major victory, the 1997 Masters. Woods was only 21 when he became the first nonwhite golfer to win the game’s most historic championship, forever changing the game and his life.
Woods said it is “hard to believe it’s been 25 years.”