Tiger Woods reportedly will play in the 2015 Masters, contrary to an earlier report claiming him to be "50-50" for the tournament. Woods, meanwhile, fell outside of the World's top 100 golfers for the first time ever in his career.
Notah Begay III, a friend of Woods, said earlier this month Woods was "50-50" for the Masters. Tim Rosaforte of Golf World, however, believes the 39-year-old Woods will ultimately tee off at Augusta.
"I think Tiger Woods is going to play the Masters. I also think you'll see him take a trip to Augusta National this week where he can practice in solitude without a camera on him," Rosaforte said Monday, via CBS Sports. "I base this not only on Notah Begay's 50-50 prediction that got so much traction, but by some of the scores he's been posting and the improvement he's shown over the past two weeks up at Medalist Golf Club. Friends in Palm Beach are also saying 'Tiger's got the edge back.'"
Woods has until tee time to decide if he'll play the tournament, according to Golf.com's Mike Walker, meaning a decision may not come until shortly before the Master's first round on April 9.
Woods hasn't golfed competitively since February 6, when he withdrew from the Farmers Insurance Open after just 11 holes in the first round. Prior to his withdrawal, Woods had shot a career-worst 82 in the second round at Phoenix the previous week, according to BBC. Given the 14-time major champion's recent string of poor performances, it's not entirely surprising to see Woods plummet out of the top 100 rankings for the first time in his career. According to Iain Carter of BBC, it was only a matter of time.
"Tumbling out of the top 100 was inevitable given Woods' lack of golf in recent times," Carter wrote Monday. "The biggest concern is that he has not felt able to compete in recent weeks and we still don't know whether he will be back for the Masters. For many players a slide down the rankings can be ruinous because a fall in standing limits playing opportunities. Woods' glorious career provides a degree of immunity from this potentially vicious circle and he won't struggle for events to enter when and if he feels ready to return."
