Tiger Woods' practice at Augusta makes him a near-certain Masters starter

Woods is a five-time Masters champion who last donned the green jacket in 2019. Photo: Getty Images/Andrew Redington

Tiger Woods is almost certain to appear at The Masters less than two weeks after his practice round at Augusta this weekend.

Although the five-time champion has long been on official starting lists, this is standard practice for any golfer who is exempt and has not yet been scratched.

And after Woods withdrew from the second round of the Los Angeles Open in February — his first official event in 10 months — there were inevitable doubts about whether the 48-year-old would be able to play in the first major of the season as he continues recovering from a 2021 car accident that nearly cost the American his right leg. .

Woods withdrew from the second round of the Los Angeles Open earlier this year. Photo: AP/Ryan Sun

But his presence at the Georgia Jewel during prep practice signals that he's ready to return to the competition where he has largely asserted his genius. at 21, having won by 12 strokes 27 years ago. It was a landmark success, but, remarkably, it may have even been eclipsed by his improbable victory at the 2019 Masters after spinal fusion.

Woods' catastrophic injuries have since called his competitiveness into question. Since his surgery in 2021, he has only played five tournaments. Woods qualified for last year's Masters but was forced to withdraw in the third round.

Reports in America indicated Woods was playing Saturday against Augusta. National Team Chairman Fred Ridley and his Ryder Cup teammate Justin Thomas. If Woods does play and is eliminated from the tournament, he will do so for the 25th time and thus break the record, leaving Gary Player and Fred Parse behind. Woods missed only once, in 1996, the year before he turned pro.

On the DP World Tour, Keita Nakajima picked up his first win at the Hero Indian Open. The Japanese player is one of the game's rising stars, winning the Japan Golf Tour Order in his first full season as a professional after spending a record 87 weeks at the top of the amateur rankings.

Having won four times on home soil, he now has one in just his 11th appearance on the DP World Tour, despite making four birdies over the final five holes in New Delhi. The 23-year-old started the day four shots early and essentially clinched the title by the turn of the move, opening up a nine-shot lead after shooting 33.

Keita Nakajima scored his debut victory on the DP World Tour at the Indian Open. Photo: Getty Images/Luke Walker

This gave him enough breathing room for his late stumble and his closing 73 saw him through. finished at 17-under and won by four shots against Indian Veer Ahlawat, Swede Sebastian Soderberg and American Johannes Veerman.

Nakajima made his professional debut finishing 12th at the 2022 Zozo Championship on the PGA Tour, and he is now aiming for one of the 10 cards available on the US circuit in the Race to Dubai order of merit, having moved up to 13th in the rankings with his win.

“I want to try finish in the top 10 on this tour and then go to the PGA Tour in 2025,” he said. “This is my first year on the DP World Tour and I am very proud to win here.”