Golf star Tiger Woods (46) is back. On Tuesday, he announced that he would be playing in the Masters tournament on Augusta’s legendary course this week.

Aftenposten collaborates with VG-sporten. Therefore, as a reader of Aftenposten, you also get the articles and services created by VG.

“How does it feel now, I’m going to play,” Woods said at a news conference on Tuesday afternoon.

There has been a lot of hysteria around Woods in recent days, and several thousand spectators have turned up to watch his training round at the Augusta track where the Masters tournament kicks off next Thursday.

– I’ll go nine new holes tomorrow. “The rehab is good, and I’m enjoying how I’m making progress every day,” said Woods, who injured himself badly in a car accident over a year ago.

Go to win

When asked if he thought he could win the tournament, Woods responded quickly with two words that set the golf world on fire: “I do”.

He confirmed it like this:

– I can hit the ball well. I’m not worried about what I can technically golf. Walking is the hard part, says the 46-year-old who is struggling with swelling in his leg after hours on the court.

– I feel that I can still compete at the highest level, and I can still win.

– You know me well. I don’t enter competitions without thinking I can win. That’s the attitude I’ve always had. “There will come a day when I can’t, and I will know when it is,” he added.

The last time Woods won a major tournament was the Masters tournament in 2019. Back then he was also struggling for a long time with training. The superstar has had major injury problems over the years, and so has he have a number of problems off the golf course.

The 46-year-old golfer is considered one of the greatest golfers of all time, and he holds 15 major titles in his career. It has been 25 years since he played in the US Masters for the first time.

– I’ve spent some time with him and game over. He hits well, chips well, and looks sharp. The physical strain of hitting 72 holes here this week is an uncertainty, but he’s got a game of golf in it, co-star Rory McIlroy said before it was known whether Woods would make a comeback this week or not.

– If I’m surprised he poses? “No, I’m not surprised by anything he does anymore,” added McIlroy.

Tiger Woods stands with 109 wins at professional level. He has been world number one for a total of 683 weeks and was last in October 2010. He shares a record 82 wins on the PGA Tour with Sam Snead, who won his first in 1936 and his last in 1965.

The winner of the US Masters will receive the famous green jacket and a prize of approximately NOK 17 million. Viktor Hovland, who is currently ranked fourth in the world, will also participate in the major tournament.