Weekly Read: The Mysterious Tiger Woods Hasn't Revealed His Masters Status
We are about to embark on another Tiger Watch, this one seemingly filled with more hope than reality but one that cannot be dismissed until Tiger Woods says he’s not playing in next week’s Masters.
Perhaps he loves the drama of making his supporters suffer through the idea that he could play at Augusta National, but more likely it’s his desire to not rule anything out until he absolutely must do so. And he won’t do that until he exhausts all possibilities.
Despite what would appear to be the overwhelming difficulty facing him in playing next week as he recovers from injuries he suffered in a car crash last year, Woods has yet to remove his name from the Masters competitors’ list. He’s right there alongside 85 other players — five will be added Monday via the Official World Golf Ranking criteria — who are on the Masters website.
That doesn’t mean he is playing. The Masters does not remove competitors from the list until the players tell them to do so. And it might just be that Tiger is holding out all hope that he can somehow be ready to compete in his first official tournament in 17 months.
But a since-removed Instagram video emerged of him practicing at The Medalist in South Florida over the weekend, and along with other murmurings and trial balloons alone with no official word from him ... well, the possibility still exists.
Since speaking publicly in December for the first time since his Feb. 23, 2021 car crash, again at the PNC Championship where he played a 36-hole exhibition with his son, Charlie, while riding a cart, and then last month at the Genesis Invitational, Woods made it clear he had a long path back to competition.
“I was very limited in what I could do there," Woods said of the PNC while speaking publicly the last time on Feb. 16. “Being out here on Tour, you get exposed. And that’s the beauty of this sport, you get exposed. There are not carts and you have to work your way around it, you have to be fit enough to be able to do this sport at a high level. You have to practice at a high level to come out here and win and I have not done any of that."
Woods said that nearly six weeks ago. So, has enough progress been made in that time? He laid it all out and there’s a lot of ground to cover. Walking. Walking 18 holes. Walking 18 holes and playing 18 holes and standing around for hours. And then doing it the next day. And fitting in the practice required. And doing it for four days.
Is Woods ready for that? It seems quite the reach.
But perhaps Woods, for the rare time, has lowered expectations. Maybe he is not fully prepared, but still wants to try. Who could deny him that? Who says his game has to be in great shape, with everything else working properly?
If he’s willing to play and deal with being far less than his best, good for him. If his doctors give him the go-ahead and he is comfortable with the mania that will ensue, why not?
Keep in mind, however, that in both 2016 and 2017, Woods took his Masters decision until the final weekend before announcing he would not play. In both instances, he suggested he had left his decision for the end, tried his best to get ready, and didn’t feel it could work. Perhaps more telling, he then did not play the rest of the year until December.
A summer return, maybe at St. Andrews, seems more realistic, if even then. But Woods has surprised us many times. He’s done things we didn’t expect. And it’s possible he has been underselling us this entire time.
Until he says no, we wait to see if he will be at Augusta National in one week.
Masterly Run
What Scottie Scheffler has done in the last six weeks is far beyond impressive. Not only has he won three times, but he’s done so on entirely different courses and conditions — TPC Scottsdale at the WM Phoenix Open, Bay Hill Club at the Arnold Palmer Invitational and Sunday at the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play Championship.
The first victory was in relatively benign conditions. The second was at a Bay Hill course that was firm and fast, caused fits and elicited a winning score of just 4 under par. And Sunday’s win, of course, was in a match play format that required four victories in the last two days after advancing out of pool play. That’s three victories in six weeks, a span of 42 days and a rapid rise to No. 1 in the world.
“I’ll believe it when I see it when the world rankings come out,’’ Scheffler said. “I never really got that far in my dreams.’’
Scheffler has long been known to be a star in the making, but it took a little while to get his first win. He lost to Billy Horschel in the final of last year’s Match Play. He was the last man picked by captain Steve Stricker for the 2021 Ryder Cup team. That seems funny now, as Scheffler had a great week, and appears destined to be part of U.S. teams for many years.
Next will come the immense pressure that comes with being among the favorites at the Masters. He has a tie for 19th and a tie for 18th in his two appearances at Augusta National, accomplished with far less fanfare.
What About Bryson?
After being out for seven weeks, Bryson DeChambeau returned at the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play, where he went 0-2-1 and did not advance out of his group. That probably should not be a surprise, and DeChambeau appeared to be fine with just competing and getting in the work.
DeChambeau, who was playing in just his third PGA Tour event of the season, suffered a broken bone in his left hand as well as an injury to his left hip.
“To be honest, I’m very happy and content with the place that I’m at right now, and I feel like I’m progressing in the right direction,’’ DeChambeau said after his tie with Richard Bland on the first day. “There’s a lot of things that people don’t know behind the scenes that I’m very, very pleased about in a very good way.
“My body is healing. And that’s a very positive thing that I’m happy with. (Wednesday) it didn’t all fail. I thought there might be a moment where it got really tired and fatigued, but to be honest it’s still really solid. I’m proud of my hand, proud of my body, proud of my attitude.’’
DeChambeau is entered in this week’s Valero Texas Open as a final tune-up for the Masters, where he was the low amateur in 2016 and tied for 21st but has not been better than a tie for 29th in four appearances as a pro.
He also said he still plans to compete in a Long Drive competition the week following the Masters.
“If it’s dealt with correctly, if I’m progressing positively and not overdoing it every day and having these micro progressions, when I get to Augusta where I’m close to 200 (mph) ball speed again, there’s a possibility that the next week if nothing gives out and it’s structurally stable that I’ll do that,’’ he said.
“I want to do it. I love it. It’s one of my favorite things to do to help grow the sport of it. I know this is where my home is, but at the end of the day I want to expand out and try and give people a little bit of a show, too.’’
Fore! Things
1. Scottie Scheffler has won approximately $6.2 million in prize money in the preceding 42 days going back to his first PGA Tour victory at the WM Phoenix Open.
2. Tiger Woods is under no obligation to “commit’’ to the Masters like is the case in a PGA Tour event, which has a 5 p.m. Friday deadline. Woods is considered in the field until he tells Augusta National otherwise. He could even take his decision into Masters week before deciding.
3. Woods’ world ranking after his last official event, the 2020 Masters: It is now 944 – which is not the lowest he has been. Woods dropped to 1,299 in the world prior to the 2017 Hero World Challenge, where he moved to 668th after a tie for ninth.
4. Sam Burns’ stay in the top 10 lasted one week. He moved to No. 10 after winning the Valspar Championship, bumping Dustin Johnson out of the top 10 for the first time in seven years. But Johnson climbed back by reaching the semifinals of the Match Play. Burns elected not to play.
The Storybook Ending That Wasn't
Richard Bland was 2 up on Dustin Johnson on Saturday morning, needing a victory in their WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play encounter to earn enough world ranking points to move into the top 50 in the world and thus qualify for his first Masters at age 49. That would have been quite the story, as Bland has had a career resurgence that saw him qualify for the WGC event for the first time.
He tied Bryson DeChambeau on the first day, defeated Talor Gooch on day two, and then won over Lee Westwood on Friday to set up the match with Johnson.
For a player competing officially in the U.S. for just the third time, it was all quite the uplifting experience.
“I guess probably someone at 49 shouldn’t be doing this for the first time,’’ he said. “But I guess there’s always the exception to the rule, isn’t there? It’s quite nice to be the exception."
The Englishman won the British Masters in a playoff last May, his first European Tour title since turning pro in 1996. There had been numerous ups and downs during that period, including losing his card in 2018 and having to play the Challenge Tour as he was approaching his 50th birthday.
He got into the U.S. Open – having qualified once previously in 2009 – and took the 36-hole lead before fading to a tie for 50th. Still, he continued to play well, with several top-10s on the European Tour (now DP World Tour) and lost in a playoff to Viktor Hovland at the Dubai Desert Classic.
That put him 60th in the Official World Golf Ranking heading into the Match Play, with not much to lose. A previously-planned trip to Augusta National had to be put on hold for the chance to qualify for the annual tournament played there instead. And like others, Bland – who had never seriously threatened the top 100 in the world – was at a loss to explain his recent run.
“I’ve been asked that question a million times, and I’m not doing anything different,’’ he said. “I’m not working on anything different with (coach) Tim (Barter). We haven’t worked on anything new probably for 12 years, I would say, maybe even 15.’’
Also, Bland could not hold his lead. Johnson proved to be too much, overcoming him by the ninth hole and cruising to victory. That left Bland out of the top 50, but with one last a chance. He was given a sponsor’s invite to this week’s Valero Texas Open, where the winner receives a Masters invitation.
A Different Approach
There is no correct way to do it, as we see every year. Tiger Woods never played the week prior to the Masters. Phil Mickelson often did. Rory McIlroy is doing so this year. He did not in 2021. Some players like to go scout Augusta National in advance, some just for the fun of playing the course, others to do a deep dive on how to play. Some way until the week prior, go home to practice, and return on Monday. Others show up on the weekend and practice every day until the first round.
No single philosophy is superior. It’s an individual decision.
At age 25, Collin Morikawa has already learned what works for him and that is to show up tournament week without an advance visit.
“I’ve actually never done that at any event I’ve played,’’ said Morikawa, who has played in just eight major championships, with two victories and four top-10s. “I do my prep, my Monday through Wednesday, and I think I do a pretty good job, and it hasn’t hurt me since.’’
Morikawa has played in the Masters twice and tied for 18th last year.
Masters Countdown
The Masters is 10 days away and only one way remains to earn an invitation: a victory at this week’s Valero Texas Open. If a player not already in the field wins in San Antonio, he will get the last spot in the Masters.
Five players earned their way into the tournament through the end of the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play Championship by being among the top 50 in the Official World Ranking as of the final deadline Monday.
They are Thomas Pieters, Harold Varner III, Russell Henley, Seamus Power and Cameron Young.
That brings the total to 91 players, which includes Tiger Woods, who remains among the listed competitors. Barring withdrawals – Harris English has missed several weeks with an injury but is listed in the field – the minimum number of competitors will be 90. The first round is April 7.
Social Matters
The Home of Golf at St Andrews was lit up on Saturday night, first showing solidarity with Ukraine.
Richard Bland with his appreciation for all who supported him after playing in just his third official event in America but coming up short of earning a spot in the Masters.
Ian Poulter shared the perks for being in the same group when Shane Lowry made his ace at the par-3 17th during the Players Championship.
Although he didn’t make it out of pool play at the WGC-Match Play, Bryson DeChambeau did return after a seven-week injury absence, with the goal of being ready for the Masters.
Next Up
Jordan Spieth defends his title at this week’s Valero Texas Open, the last opportunity for players not in the Masters field to earn an invitation with a victory. Spieth has not added to his total of 12 PGA Tour victories since that win in San Antonio.
Twenty-three players are using the tournament as a tune-up for the Masters, including Rory McIlroy, DeChambeau, defending Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama, Lee Westwood and Zach Johnson.
The other 121 players who aren't in the Masters are hoping to win and get in.