Tiger Woods’ draw and matchup for Masters 2023 revealed
Ahead of what could be his final Masters ever, Tiger Woods has been matched up with Viktor Hovland and Xander Schauffele. The legendary golfer is paired with two PGA Tour stars as Augusta opted not to go for the interest factor and pair him with LIV Golf players.
There were rumors that the 82-time PGA Tour winner would play opposite Phil Mickelson, but those were quickly debunked. Now, he's going to play with Hovland, the world number nine golfer, and Schauffele, the world number seven. It will not be an easy road for Woods.
Tiger playing with Viktor and Xander on Thursday morning at 10:18 a.m... goes off at 1:24 p.m. on Friday. #themasters
Sports Illustrated's Bob Harig reports:
"Tiger playing with Viktor and Xander on Thursday morning at 10:18 a.m... goes off at 1:24 p.m. on Friday."
Ahead of the Masters, Woods admitted he wasn't sure he'd ever return to Augusta to take part in the Masters:
"Yes, it has. I didn't know- I mean last year, I didn't know if I was going to play again at the time. For some reason, everything kind of came together and I pushed a little bit and was able to make the cut, which was nice. Yeah, I don't know how many more I have in me, so just to be able to appreciate the time that I have here and share some memories."
Tiger Woods is currently +6000 to win in what could be his last-ever Masters.
Tiger Woods preparing for the Masters as only he would
Tiger Woods has won countless times on the golf course and he's won the Masters an astonishing five times. He most recently shocked the world with a victory in 2019.
As such, he knows how to prepare for the event and he has been. He said via ESPN:
"I've been able to re-create a lot of the chip shots at home in my backyard, or I'm at Medalist hitting balls off the side of lies."
He also mentioned his leg and the fact that he's fortunate to even be here:
"I'm very lucky to have this leg; it's mine. Yes, it has been altered and there's some hardware in there, but it's still mine. It has been tough and will always be tough."
"The ability and endurance of what my leg will do going forward will never be the same. I understand that. That's why I can't prepare and play as many tournaments as I like, but that's my future, and that's OK. I'm OK with that."
Tiger Woods knows he is on borrowed time and he's fine with that. He has made a name for himself and has gone down as one of the best golfers ever. That remains the truth whether he retires now or plays and wins or plays and loses.