Golf legend Gary Player said he would not be surprised if Tiger Woods opted not to play The Masters at Augusta this year.
Woods is not in the field for The Players Championship at the TPC Sawgrass this week, and this is the final year of his exemption from winning the 2019 Masters.
Woods played at his Tomorrow Golf League earlier this week but it was only the third time he had played since his mother, Kultida, died suddenly on February 4.
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In addition to his mother’s passing, Player believes the physical toll of playing at The Masters must also be taken into account.
He said Woods’ “legs are not in good shape” as issues from a 2021 car crash linger. The golf icon has since struggled to get around a course for multiple days in a row.
Tiger Woods at the British Open. Getty
“I’m such an admirer of Tiger Woods. You know, he did what he did for golf around the world is remarkable. The same as Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus and a host of players,” nine-time major champ Player told SportsBoom.
“But you know… your legs are what carry you around. Your legs are what hit the ball, not your hands.
“And his legs are not in good shape. And The Masters, what people don’t understand, look at that tournament – (the course is) uphill and it’s downhill and it’s sidehill.
“And that is tough, tough on the legs. I don’t know if he can walk around there. We hope he’ll play. Everybody wants to see him play.”
If Woods chooses to play The Masters, it would be his first proper tournament since he missed the cut at the British Open last July.
Woods is on the list of players, and there is no commitment deadline for him to decide to play at Augusta National.
Gary Player of South Africa shakes hands with Fred Ridley the Chairman of Augusta National Golf Club. Getty
Woods has never missed the cut at the Masters as a pro, setting a tournament record last year with his 24th cut made.
He had 19 appearances at The Players and only failed to make the cut one time, in 2011, when he withdrew after a 42 on the front nine with a left leg injury.
Woods, a two-time winner at The Players, has not played the PGA Tour’s flagship event since 2019.
He tied for 30th, and a month later won the Masters for his fifth green jacket and his 15th major championship.
