(NewsNation) — Tigers Woods said Tuesday, “as of right now” he will play the Masters.
The five-time champion will play nine more practice holes on Wednesday before making a final decision, but will be doing so with the intention of playing Thursday.
“As of right now, I feel like I’m going to play,” he said. “I can hit it just fine. I don’t have any qualms about what I can do physically from a golf standpoint. It’s now, walking’s the hard part.”
He added, “This is not an easy walk to begin with. Now given the condition that my leg is in, it gets a little more difficult. And 72 holes is a long road. It’s going to be a tough challenge and a challenge that I’m up for.”
However, Woods says, “It’s great to be back.”
There have been many signals in recent days that Woods was on the cusp of deciding it was time to play again. He came to Augusta National for a practice round last week, then returned Sunday, saying he’d be “a game-time decision.” He returned Monday for more, and on Tuesday morning, with bad weather in the forecast, he spent plenty of time in the practice areas.
He’s scheduled to tee off Thursday at 10:34 a.m. with Louis Oosthuizen and Joaquin Niemann. That threesome plays again Friday starting at 1:41 p.m.
Woods played in December at the PNC Challenge, a 36-hole scramble on a flat Florida course where he and his son Charlie finished second to John Daly and his son. Woods was allowed to use a cart in that event, and when those rounds were over he flatly dismissed any notion that his game was tour-ready again.
“I can’t compete against these guys right now, no,” Woods said on Dec. 19. “It’s going to take a lot of work to get to where I feel like I can compete with these guys and be at a high level.”
About 3 1/2 months later, Woods apparently feels differently. If he plays, he’ll be in the Masters for the 24th time; he’s finished in the top five 12 times in his previous 23 appearances.
The giant gallery of patrons following five-time Masters champion Tiger Woods applaude as he walks down the first fairway after teeing off to begin his practice round for the Masters at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Ga., Monday, April 4, 2022. (Curtis Compton /Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP) 
Tiger Woods hits on the driving range during a practice round for the Masters golf tournament on Tuesday, April 5, 2022, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel) 
27 Feb 1992: Tiger Woods watches his shot during the 1992 Los Angeles Open at the Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades, California. Mandatory Credit: Gary Newkirk /Allsport 
4 APR 1995: US AMATEUR TIGER WOODS (LEFT) WITH GREG NORMAN OF AUSTRALIA WAIT TO PLAY ON THE 15TH TEE DURING THE SECOND PRACTICE ROUND AT THE 1995 US MASTERS GOLF CHAMPIONSHIP AT THE AUGUSTA NATIONAL GOLF COURSE IN AUGUSTA, GEORGIA. Mandatory Credit: Steve Munday/ALLSPORT 
4 FEB 1994: AMERICAN AMATEUR TIGER WOODS PLAYS FROM DITCH BESIDE THE 9TH FAIRWAY ON HIS WAY TO A SECOND-ROUND TOTAL OF ONE OVER PAR AFTER TWO ROUNDS OF THE JOHNNIE WALKER CLASSIC IN PHUKET, THAILAND. Mandatory Credit: Tony Duffy/ALLSPORT 
27 Feb 1992: Tiger Woods looks on during the Los Angeles Open in Los Angeles, California. Mandatory Credit: Gary Newkirk /Allsport 
26 Feb 1993: Tiger Woods hits a shot during the 1993 Los Angeles Open at the Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades, California. Mandatory Credit: Gary Newkirk /Allsport 
FEB1993: TEEN AGE GOLFER TIGER WOODS HITS OUT OF A SANDTRAP ON THE FIRST HOLE OF RIVIERA COUNTRY CLUB in Pacific Palisades, California DURING COMPETITION IN THE 1993 LOS ANGELES OPEN. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Dunn/ALLSPORT 
AUGUSTA, GEORGIA – APRIL 05: Tiger Woods of the United States talks to caddie for Matthew Fitzpatrick of England, Billy Foster during a practice round prior to the Masters at Augusta National Golf Club on April 05, 2022 in Augusta, Georgia. (Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images) 
AUGUSTA, GEORGIA – APRIL 05: Tiger Woods of the United States warms up on the range during a practice round prior to the Masters at Augusta National Golf Club on April 05, 2022 in Augusta, Georgia. (Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images) 
AUGUSTA, GEORGIA – APRIL 04: Justin Thomas of the United States and Tiger Woods of the United States walk on the second hole during a practice round prior to the Masters at Augusta National Golf Club on April 04, 2022 in Augusta, Georgia. (Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images) 
AUGUSTA, GEORGIA – APRIL 04: Tiger Woods of the United States and Justin Thomas of the United States walk on the seventh hole during a practice round prior to the Masters at Augusta National Golf Club on April 04, 2022 in Augusta, Georgia. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) 
AUGUSTA, GEORGIA – APRIL 04: Tiger Woods of the United States, caddie Joe LaCava and Rob McNamara, Executive Vice President at TGR, on the range during a practice round prior to the Masters at Augusta National Golf Club on April 04, 2022 in Augusta, Georgia. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) 
AUGUSTA, GEORGIA – APRIL 04: Tiger Woods of the United States walks during a practice round prior to the Masters at Augusta National Golf Club on April 04, 2022 in Augusta, Georgia. (Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images)
Thursday’s opening round would mark the first time Woods has competed against the world’s best players since Nov. 15, 2020, which was the final round of that year’s pandemic-delayed Masters.
He had his fifth back surgery two months later and was still recovering from that on Feb. 23, 2021 when he crashed his SUV over a median on a suburban coastal road in Los Angeles and down the side of a hill.
Woods’ injuries from that crash were so severe that doctors initially considered right leg amputation before reassembling the limb by placing a rod in the tibia and using screws and pins to stabilize additional injuries in the ankle and foot.
“It’s been a tough, tough year, but here we are,” Woods said.