AUGUSTA: Tiger Woods says, for now anyway, he’s planning to play this week in the Masters.
The five-time champion at Augusta National made the announcement Tuesday morning. He 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,” Woods said, “I feel like I’m going to play.”
There had been plenty of 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” — and Monday for more. On Tuesday morning, with bad weather in the forecast, he spent plenty of time in the practice areas.
“It’s great to be back,” Woods said.
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 at 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.
Thursday’s opening round would mark the first time Woods competes 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 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.
Tiger Woods says he’s planning to play the Masters
https://arab.news/wj6z2
Tiger Woods says he’s planning to play the Masters
- The five-time champion at Augusta National made the announcement Tuesday morning
- “As of right now," Woods said, “I feel like I'm going to play”
Desert Vipers eliminate Sharjah Warriorz with 5-wicket win to close ILT20 group stage
- The result confirmed the Vipers’ place at the top end of the table, while leaving either Abu Dhabi Knight Riders or Gulf Giants to claim the final playoff berth
SHARJAH: Desert Vipers ended the Sharjah Warriorz’ playoff hopes with a five-wicket victory in their final International League T20 group-stage match at Sharjah Cricket Stadium, becoming the first team to win eight games in a single group phase.
The result confirmed the Vipers’ place at the top end of the table, while leaving either Abu Dhabi Knight Riders or Gulf Giants to claim the final playoff berth when they meet in the last league fixture on Sunday.
The winner of Saturday’s clash between MI Emirates and Dubai Capitals will finish in the top two.
After being sent in the Warriorz were restricted to 140 for seven, with Naseem Shah and Qais Ahmad leading a disciplined bowling effort. Naseem finished with three wickets, while early strikes from David Payne and Khuzaima Tanveer left the hosts reeling at 6 for two.
Tom Kohler-Cadmore and Johnson Charles rebuilt through the powerplay, adding 61 runs for the third wicket, but the innings lost momentum once Kohler-Cadmore was bowled by Naseem in the 10th over.
Qais then struck twice in quick succession, dismissing Charles for 43 and removing captain Sikandar Raza for a golden duck, reducing the Warriorz to 79 for five.
James Rew and Ryan Burl attempted to stabilize the innings, but the Vipers closed strongly, with Naseem striking again late on to ensure the Warriorz failed to reach a competitive total.
The chase began shakily as Raza and Richard Ngarava reduced the Vipers to 28 for two inside the powerplay, removing Fakhar Zaman and Andries Gous.
Max Holden and Sam Curran steadied the innings with a measured 64-run partnership, absorbing pressure before gradually lifting the run rate.
Harmeet Singh briefly revived the Warriorz’ hopes with wickets in the middle overs, including Curran and later Dan Lawrence and Jason Roy, but Holden remained composed throughout.
His unbeaten 66 from 46 balls anchored the chase, before Hasan Nawaz’s brisk 25 from 14 deliveries ensured the Vipers crossed the line with overs to spare.
Vipers captain Curran said the win was an ideal way to close the group stage.
“It was really pleasing to get a win heading into the qualifier. We adjusted to the conditions very well. Max played a superb innings, and Hasan finished it off nicely with some big strikes at the end. We’ve had a fantastic season overall, winning eight out of ten matches,” he said.
Sharjah Warriorz skipper Raza reflected on a disappointing campaign, saying: “Pretty much everything that could go wrong for us did go wrong this season. Had we played those key moments slightly better in a few of our games, we would have qualified already.
“On these wickets, 150 was a competitive total and we rarely got there, which is the most painful part.”
