Woods Jets Into Augusta Boosting out of………

Tiger Woods’ presence at Augusta National for a practice round on Saturday has sparked anticipation of his potential return to competition at the upcoming Masters, marking his 26th appearance at the prestigious tournament.

Reports from Sports Illustrated indicated that Woods’ Gulfstream G550 was spotted flying into Augusta Airport from the north on Saturday. Accompanying him on the flight was close friend Justin Thomas, and together they joined Augusta National Chairman Fred Ridley for a round on the famed host course of the Masters.

This marks Woods’ first visit to the Georgia golfing haven since his withdrawal from last year’s Masters during the third round. Since then, the five-time Masters champion has had limited tournament participation, including a dramatic withdrawal from the Genesis Invitational in February due to illness.

While Woods has played sparingly in recent months, he did complete a full 18-hole round earlier this month alongside Rory McIlroy at the exclusive Seminole Pro-Member event. Additionally, he engaged in a social round with Yasir Al-Rummayan, Governor of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, and participated in discussions regarding the potential merger of LIV Golf with the PGA and DP World Tours.

Should Woods decide to compete in the upcoming Masters, as is now expected, and if he makes the cut, he would extend his record for most weekend rounds at Augusta to 24 since his debut victory in 1997. Currently tied with Gary Player and Fred Couples for the most Masters cuts, Woods has only missed the cut once, in his second appearance in 1996.

Reflecting on his return to competition earlier this year at the Genesis Invitational, Woods acknowledged his ongoing physical challenges and expressed intentions to pace his schedule, aiming to play approximately one tournament per month to allow for adequate recovery and preparation.

However, despite his intentions, Woods has yet to complete a full four rounds in a tournament as we enter the fourth month of the year. Nonetheless, his presence at Augusta National fuels hopes of witnessing the return of one of golf’s greatest champions to the sport’s grandest stage.