Update on Tiger Woods and Visit to Augusta National

The five-time Masters champion sat out the Players Championship and his next tournament remains unknown.

Editors’ note, March 15 at 9:40 a.m. ET: An earlier version of this story misstated that Tiger Woods played a practice round at Augusta National last week. A source tells Sports Illustrated he did not.

Tiger Woods was not ready to get back to competitive golf last week at the Players Championship, but he was able to get to Augusta National.

The five-time Masters champion played the course on Thursday, according to a source who requested anonymity.

It is common practice for players who are in the Masters field to take advantage of the perk that allows them to visit prior to tournament week. Woods played a practice round a week prior last year along with his son, Charlie. It was not clear who played with Woods this time.

Two-time Masters champion Bubba Watson, who is competing this week in a LIV Golf event, was also at Augusta National last Thursday. Rory McIlroy and defending Masters champion Scottie Scheffler visited on Monday.

Unlike last year, when Woods’s participation was unclear until the week prior and he didn’t confirm until the Sunday of tournament week, playing in 2023 has always been a goal.

“My intent last year was to play in all four majors, I got three of the four," Woods said after the final round of the Genesis Invitational last month, where he tied for 45th in his first start since July’s British Open at St. Andrews. “Hopefully this year I can get all four and maybe sprinkle in a few here and there. But that's it for the rest of my career. I know that and I understand that. That's just my reality."

Woods has difficulty walking due to the injuries suffered in a February 2021 car crash that led to multiple surgeries on his right leg, ankle and foot. He finished 47th at the Masters last year after shooting a pair of 78s on the weekend.

He then withdrew following the third round of the PGA Championship and failed to make the cut at the Open.

Augusta National is typically busy this time of year with players preparing for the tournament, although it will not be open to them after Wednesday as the club has its spring jamboree. The club also gets busy the week prior to the Masters, as members are squeezing in final rounds, so it is unclear if Woods will make another visit prior to the tournament, which begins on April 6.