Jose Maria Olazabal hoping Tiger Woods can complete Masters comeback

If there is any player who can empathise with what Tiger Woods has been through as he tries to get fit for the Masters, Jose Maria Olazabal fits the bill.

Olazabal first triumphed at Augusta National in 1994 but later that year was struck down by a debilitating ailment in the joints of his feet which left him in so much pain that he had to crawl to the bathroom.

Sidelined for 18 months, Olazabal feared he might need a wheelchair for the rest of his life until German doctor Hans-Wilhelm Muller-Wohlfahrt concluded that the pain was coming from his back, not his foot.

Olazabal returned to action in 1997 and won an emotional second Masters title two years later, so the 56-year-old is delighted that Woods appears increasingly likely to join him in the field this week after recovering from injuries sustained in a life-threatening car accident last February.

“In a way I know what he’s been going through,” Olazabal told the PA news agency ahead of a practice round at Augusta National.

“When you cannot walk, when you cannot do things and you’re full of pain everywhere I relate to him in a way and that’s why I really appreciate him being here.

“Not just for us and the crowds, but for him. I would love to see him be able to be competitive again and play great golf.”

Woods has not played a top-level event since the 2020 Masters, held in November that year due to the coronavirus pandemic, but completed a practice round at Augusta last week and again on Sunday.

The 15-time major winner has been included on the interview schedule for Tuesday and said he would make a “game-time” decision on whether he can tee it up on Thursday.

“I saw him as he was walking towards the 10th tee and I have to say I was really pleased for him and it’s