Jack Nicklaus reacts to Tiger Woods' Masters plan: 'If his body holds up, could he do it again?'
Woods said he believes he could win the Masters
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Tiger Woods intends to play at the Masters this week, more than a year after suffering devastating leg injuries in a car crash in Los Angeles.
Woods made his intentions known Tuesday during a press conference two days before the first round of the Masters was set to begin. He hasn’t competed in a high-level golf event since the 2020 Masters.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Tiger Woods shares a moment with Jack Nicklaus during the Pro-Am of the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide at Muirfield Village Golf Club on May 30, 2018 in Dublin, Ohio. (Adam Lacy/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Woods is still chasing Jack Nicklaus’ majors record. Nicklaus has 18 major titles and Woods has 15. "The Golden Bear" tweeted he was happy to see Woods giving it a go.
"Delighted to hear Tiger is going to give it a go at the Masters," Nicklaus’ statement read. "Considering where his life was 17 months ago, this is an incredible feat. Only reinforces the drive passion and work ethics Tiger has always possessed. And know that while he’s in a different place in his life, Tiger wouldn’t tee it up if he didn’t think he could compete and win."
Jack Nicklaus talks to Tiger Woods of the United States on the 19th tee during the Payne’s Valley Cup on Sept. 22, 2020 on the Payne’s Valley course at Big Cedar Lodge in Ridgedale, Missouri. (Tom Pennington/Getty Images for Payne’s Valley Cup)
He went on: "Tiger knows this golf course like the back of his hand and, in 2019, once in position, he remembered how to win. If his body holds up, could he do it again?"
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Woods was asked whether he thinks he could win this weekend. His simple response: "I do."
Tiger Woods drops golf balls on the driving range during a practice round for the Masters golf tournament on Tuesday, April 5, 2022, in Augusta, Georgia. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
He added: "I can hit it just fine. I don't have any qualms about what I can do physically from a golf standpoint. Walking is the hard part. This is normally not an easy walk to begin with. Now given the conditions that my leg is in, it gets even more difficult. Seventy-two holes is a long road and it's going to be a tough challenge. And a challenge that I'm up for."
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As of now, he is set to tee off at 10:34 a.m. ET on Thursday with Louis Oosthuizen and Joaquin Niemann. He said he would go another nine holes on Wednesday.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.