Woods also played a practice round at Augusta National last week.
The 15-time major champion has a reputation for aiming for victory among most challenging circumstances, and based on his swings on Sunday, he has regained some semblance of his golf prowess. But playing at Augusta National, a long course known for its relentless elevation changes, can be a huge challenge. On Wednesday, during a conference call with reporters, Curtis Strange, the two-time US Open champion who is now a golf analyst for ESPN, called Augusta National “the hardest walk in golf.”
Another two-time US Open winner Andy North, who is also an ESPN commentator, said he thought the British Open would likely be a place to return to competition for Woods, as this year’s venue – St Andrews – “flat and it’s an easy walk.”
“Augusta is the last place you thought he could play,” North said.
But Woods, who won his first Masters title 25 years ago in 1997, has carefully dealt with expectations – from the golf world and perhaps himself – for a return to the tour at various points since the crash.
In mid-February, ahead of the Genesis Invitational, Woods said in a news conference that he’d been working mostly on chipping, putting and short irons, but not spending time “seriously” on his long game because of his right leg.
“I’m still working on the running part,” Woods said at the time. “My foot was a little messed up there about a year ago, so the running part is something I’m still working on, strength and development in that. It takes time. What’s frustrating is it’s not on my schedule. I want to be in a certain place, but I’m not. I just have to keep working. I’m getting better, yes. But like I said, not with the speed and speed I would like.”