“If you have three more years (on the Champions Tour), you can use the cart. I know more players on the Champions Tour than on the regular tour.”
At a press conference ahead of the Masters, the first major tournament of the season, Tiger Woods, the “Emperor of Golf,” implied that his retirement was imminent. He also confessed that although his performance improved from last year, the situation was not easy.
At the official press conference for the 87th Masters Tournament held at the Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia스포츠토토, USA on the 5th (Korean time), Woods said, “I don’t know how much more I can (play as a competitive player) in the future,” but “compared to last year. The performance is better,” he said.
Woods, who won 5 out of 15 major championship wins at the Masters, is challenging to regain Masters supremacy in 4 years since 2019. After injuring his leg in a car accident in February 2021, Woods suffered a serious decline in his performance. Especially when walking is uncomfortable.
He ranked 47th in the Masters last year, but has since been sluggish due to withdrawal during the US Professional Golf (PGA) Championship, boycott of the US Open, and elimination from the Open Cut.
On this day, Woods honestly explained that his situation was not easy. Regarding the car accident at the time, he said, “It’s fortunate that this leg is my leg (not a prosthetic leg),” and confessed, “Of course, it can’t function as before, and I can’t compete in many competitions, but that’s a situation I have to accept.” He then explained, “The difficult thing for me is to move on foot,” and “passing the cut at the Masters last year was a small victory for me.”
Woods, who has fallen to 1001st in the world rankings, said that retirement is not far away. After winning his 82nd PGA Tour win at the Zozo Championship in October 2019, there is a good chance he will head to the Champions Tour, which only players over 50 participate in. Born in 1975, he smiled, saying, “If I have three more years, I will be able to use a cart (on the Champions Tour)” and “I know more players on the Champions Tour than on the regular tour.”
When asked what was the strength that enabled him to recover from injury, Woods replied, “Stubbornness.” He emphasized, “I believe in hard work and I think I get the same result,” and “I have always worked hard throughout my career.”
He added, “It is not easy to overcome multiple surgeries. But I had the passion to overcome, and I did not lose faith that I could do it,” he said. “That effort is the reason I can be here now.” It will be this course,” revealing his affection for the Masters.
Woods will start the first round of this year’s Masters with Viktor Hovlan (Norway) and Zander Chopley (USA) at 11:18 p.m.