Tiger Woods announced on Tuesday that he intends to compete in the 2022 Masters Tournament, set to begin on Thursday at Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia. Woods has won the Masters Tournament five times. The golfer’s involvement in the 86th edition of the Masters Tournament had been in question given that it’s been just 14 months since he was hospitalized and underwent surgery after a severe car accident.
“As of right now, I feel like I am going to play,” Woods said in a press conference ahead of the tournament (via The New York Times). “I love competing, and I feel like if I can still compete at the highest level, I’m going to … [I would not] show up to an event unless I think I can win it.”
When asked if he believed he could win his sixth Masters title, Woods replied, “I do.” The golfer added that “walking is the hard part” about competing in the Masters because of the topographical challenges of the Augusta National Golf Club course.
Woods was hospitalized on Feb. 23, 2021, and underwent surgery after being involved in a rollover car accident in Los Angeles. The golfer was the only person in the car, which flipped over and sustained major damage. Firefighters and paramedics had to use a rescue tool to extract him from the vehicle, and he was taken to Harbor-UCLA Medical Center to be treated for his injuries.
Anish Mahajan, the chief medical officer and interim CEO at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, detailed Woods’ surgery at the time, writing, “Comminuted open fractures affecting both the upper and lower portions of the tibia and fibula bones were stabilized by inserting a rod into the tibia. Additional injuries to the bones of the foot and ankle were stabilized with a combination of screws and pins. Trauma to the muscle and soft-tissue of the leg required surgical release of the covering of the muscles to relieve pressure due to swelling.”
The Masters Tournament is scheduled to run from April 7 to 10.
