Rory McIlroy says Tiger Woods’ participation in the Masters would be “exceptional” for golf

as tiger wood Deciding whether to play in the Masters next week at Augusta National Golf Club, one of his rivals said it would be great to have a 15-time major champion in the field.

“I think for golf, for the Masters, and for everyone else, having a tiger would be phenomenal,” he said. Rory McIlroy He told reporters in San Antonio, where he is competing in this week’s Valero Texas Open. “I think it just adds to the action. It obviously does. Anything Tiger Woods does in golf is enhanced whenever he’s there. I mean, it would be nice to be there.”

McIlroy, a four-time major champion, was at the Augusta National on Tuesday, when Woods played 18 holes with his son Charlie, the PGA Tour pro Justin Thomashis close friend.

“he was there [on Tuesday]”He’s obviously trying to figure out what he can do,” McIlroy said. “Obviously no one else knows if he can do that and if he thinks he can be competitive.”

Woods has not played in an official PGA Tour event in 500 days, since he last played in the final round of the 2020 Masters Tournament, which took place in November of that year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He finished the tie in 38th place after shooting 4-over 76 in the last round.

Woods, a five-time Masters champion, is among the 91 expected participants in next week’s Masters Tournament, the first major tournament of the season. But he has not yet officially said if he is playing. It’s the 25th anniversary of his first Masters win in 1997.

It wouldn’t be the first time Woods has tried to return to Augusta National after a long hiatus. After multiple knee and back surgeries, Woods won the 2019 Masters, his first major in 11 years.

If he is able to play next week, it will be even more impressive. Woods suffered serious injuries to his right leg and right foot in a car wreck on February 23, 2021. The SUV he was driving crossed over two oncoming lanes, crashed into a sidewalk and uprooted a tree along a slope in Rolling Hills Estates, outside Los Angeles. He was wearing a seat belt, and officers found him still sitting in the SUV.

Woods was taken to Harbor-UCLA Medical Center by ambulance. He had open fractures in the upper and lower parts of his tibia and fibula in his right leg. He told reporters at the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas in late November that doctors nearly had to amputate his right leg.

“I’ve said this many times, but basically since March 2017, he’s gone fast for two years and won the Masters, where he was with his body and what he had to do to get back to his health somewhat,” McIlroy said. “Not even to be a little healthy, that’s also what he has to do before the round and after the round just to get himself ready to go play golf.”

In December, Woods played in the PNC unofficial tournament with Charlie. The 36-hole event was a scramble, and he was allowed to use a golf cart, but he did do some walking.

“Absolute will and perseverance, yes, it’s incredible,” McIlroy said. “If he comes back from this again, he just loves to prove people wrong, and I think he loves to prove him wrong. No matter when he comes back – whether it’s next week or a few weeks, after a few months streak – he’s a great addition to the game. And golf would be Better when he’s playing and when he’s playing well.”