Tiger Woods, the golf legend who just over 13 months ago damaged his right leg so badly that doctors considered amputation, said on Tuesday that he intended to play at the Masters, setting the stage for a return to the PGA Tour unlike any other at the iconic tournament.
The five-time winner at Augusta National noted he will play nine more practice holes on Wednesday, a day before the competition begins, before making a final decision. Should that session go according to plan, he will be part of the field on Thursday and all eyes will be on his pursuit of a sixth Green Jacket.
“As of right now, I feel like I am going to play,” Woods said, while noting that his recovery from the crash that damaged his leg has gone well. “I’ve been very excited about how I’ve recovered each and every day.”
Speculation over whether Woods would compete at Augusta National had been building since late March, sparked by three-time Masters champion Phil Mickelson removing himself from the list of players who plan to compete.
At that time, Woods was still on the active invited players list, though there had been no substantial indication he was ready to play in his first major since the accident that damaged his leg, leading many to conclude his inclusion on the list merely stemmed from him not asking to be removed from it. The Masters, unlike other PGA Tour events, does not have a firm deadline to commit to competing. Because it is an invitation tournament, players typically notify the club only if they do not plan to play.
But the possibility of Woods chasing another Green Jacket, which he first won 25 years ago, reached new heights when he flew to Augusta last Tuesday, saying he was heading to the course to continue his “preparation and practice” and that it would be “a game-time decision” on whether he competed.
“I love competing, and I feel like if I can still compete at the highest level, I’m going to,” Woods said, later adding that he would not “show up to an event unless I think I can win it.” When asked if he thought he could win this year’s event, specifically, the answer was definitive: “I do.”
The 15-time major champion has cultivated a reputation throughout his illustrious career for finding victory under challenging circumstances. The most recent of his five Masters wins, in 2019, marked his first major tournament victory in 11 years and came after undergoing multiple back and knee surgeries. Just two years prior, he had been ranked as low as 1,119th in the world.
Still, in an improbable and unparalleled career of dizzying highs and jarring lows, making a return from a harrowing injury at the age of 46 — especially at Augusta National, a long course known for its unforgiving elevation changes at nearly every hole — always posed a daunting challenge.
“I can hit it just fine,” Woods said. “I don’t have any qualms about what I can do physically from a golf standpoint. It’s now, walking’s the hard part. This is not an easy walk to begin with. Now given the condition that my leg is in, it gets a little more difficult. And 72 holes is a long road. It’s going to be a tough challenge and a challenge that I’m up for.”
Woods, while recovering from a fifth back surgery in February 2021, drove his sport-utility vehicle over a median at high speed and it tumbled down a hillside in a Los Angeles-area coastal suburb. His right leg was severely damaged, with open fractures in several places of the tibia and fibula. He spent a month in the hospital, and has said that doctors considered the possibility the leg may have to be amputated.
“I’m still working on the walking part,” Woods said in mid-February, before the Genesis Invitational. “My foot was a little messed up there about a year ago, so the walking part is something that I’m still working on, working on strength and development in that. It takes time. What’s frustrating is it’s not at my timetable. I want to be at a certain place, but I’m not. I’ve just got to continue working.”
As the arduous rehabilitation process unfolded, Woods has appeared sparsely, managing expectations — external and, perhaps, internal — about his potential return to the tour.
In December, Woods played 36 holes with his son, Charlie, at the PNC Championship. The format for the tournament was substantially different than the Masters, though, and allowed for the use of a cart instead of having to walk to each hole. During the event, Woods limped and struggled on some drives to push off with his right leg.
Earlier, in mid-November, Woods posted a short video on social media of himself taking a swing, saying that he hoped to eventually play competitive golf again but stopping short of offering a timetable for when that could happen. He also ruled out a full-time return to the PGA Tour.
“I’ve had a pretty good run,” Woods said in November, then nine months removed from the crash. “I don’t see that type of trend going forward for me. It’s going to have to be a different way. I’m at peace with that. I’ve made the climb enough times.”
TORONTO – Reigning PWHL MVP and scoring champ Natalie Spooner will miss the start of the regular season for the Toronto Sceptres, general manager Gina Kingsbury announced Tuesday on the first day of training camp.
The 33-year-old Spooner had knee surgery on her left anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) after she was checked into the boards by Minnesota’s Grace Zumwinkle in Game 3 of their best-of-five semifinal series on May 13.
She had a goal and an assist in three playoff games but did not finish the series. Toronto was up 2-1 in the semifinal at that time and eventually fell 3-2 in the series.
Spooner led the PWHL with 27 points in 24 games. Her 20 goals, including five game-winners, were nine more than the closest skater.
Kingsbury said there is no timeline, as the team wants the Toronto native at 100 per cent, but added that “she is doing really well” in her recovery.
The Sceptres open the PWHL season on Nov. 30 when they host the Boston Fleet.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 12, 2024.
LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — A top official of the Pakistan Cricket Board declined Friday to confirm media reports that India has decided against playing any games in host Pakistan during next year’s Champions Trophy.
“My view is if there’s any problems, they (India) should tell us in writing,” PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi told reporters in Lahore. “I’ll share that with the media as well as with the government as soon as I get such a letter.”
Indian media reported Friday that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has communicated its concerns to all the Champions Trophy stakeholders, including the PCB, over the Feb. 19-March 9 tournament and would not play in arch-rival Pakistan.
The Times of India said that “Dubai is a strong candidate to host the fixtures involving the Men in Blue” for the 50-over tournament.
Such a solution would see Pakistan having to travel to a neutral venue to play India in a group match, with another potential meeting later in the tournament if both teams advanced from their group. The final is scheduled for March 9 in Pakistan with the specific venue not yet decided.
“Our stance is clear,” Naqvi said. “They need to give us in writing any objections they may have. Until now, no discussion of the hybrid model has happened, nor are we prepared to accept one.”
Political tensions have stopped bilateral cricket between the two nations since 2008 and they have competed in only multi-nation tournaments, including ICC World Cups.
“Cricket should be free of politics,” Naqvi said. “Any sport should not be entangled with politics. Our preparations for the Champions Trophy will continue unabated, and this will be a successful event.”
The PCB has already spent millions of dollars on the upgrade of stadiums in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi which are due to host 15 Champions Trophy games. Naqvi hoped all the three stadiums will be ready over the next two months.
“Almost every country wants the Champions Trophy to be played here (in Pakistan),” Naqvi said. “I don’t think anyone should make this a political matter, and I don’t expect they will. I expect the tournament will be held at the home of the official hosts.”
Eight countries – Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, England, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and Afghanistan – are due to compete in the tournament, the schedule of which is yet to be announced by the International Cricket Council.
“Normally the ICC announces the schedule of any major tournament 100 days before the event, and I hope they will announce it very soon,” Naqvi said.
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – Ottawa‘s Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe of New Zealand are through to the doubles final at the WTA Finals after a 7-6 (7), 6-1 victory over Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the United States and Australia’s Ellen Perez in semifinal action Friday.
Dabrowski and Routliffe won a hard-fought first set against serve when Routliffe’s quick reaction at the net to defend a Perez shot gave the duo set point, causing Perez to throw down her racket in frustration.
The second seeds then cruised through the second set, winning match point on serve when Melichar-Martinez couldn’t handle Routliffe’s shot.
The showdown was a rematch of last year’s semifinal, which Melichar-Martinez and Perez won in a super tiebreak.
Dabrowski and Routliffe will face the winner of a match between Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend, and Hao-Ching Chan and Veronika Kudermetova in the final on Saturday.
Dabrowski is aiming to become the first Canadian to win a WTA Finals title.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.
