Tiger stirs Masters talk but several in hunt for green jacket

Injured Tiger Woods thrilled golf fans with a mere practice round at Augusta National, but other elite golfers who have competed since November 2020 definitely will try to win the 86th Masters.

The first men's major tournament of the year tees off Thursday at Augusta National with a host of in-form contenders, but attention was riveted upon 46-year-old Woods after he played 18 holes at the iconic Georgia course on Tuesday.

The 15-time major champion, ranked 944th in the world, suffered severe right leg injuries in a February 2021 car crash. He has not played an official event since the 2020 Masters, played in November due to Covid-19.

Woods tested his fitness to walk the hilly course in a practice round with son Charlie and pal Justin Thomas, the 2017 PGA Championship winner.

He was listed among the field on the tournament website, but had not confirmed as of Friday whether he would play in next week's Masters, which will mark the 25th anniversary of his first triumph there.

Hospitalized for weeks and unable to walk for months, Woods has been rehabilitating with plans to return to elite golf on a part-time basis, although he has given no timetable when that might happen.

"To have Tiger there would be phenomenal," four-time major winner Rory McIlroy said. "It just adds to the event. Anything Tiger Woods does in the game of golf is heightened whenever he's there. I mean, it would be awesome for him to be there."

Woods said in December, and again in February, that he was "a long way away" from playing at a high level, noting he felt fortunate to have survived the crash and with both legs.

However, the prospect of a Woods comeback overshadowed the certainty of players seeking a green jacket who have been competing for months.

McIlroy