While speaking with USA Today, Tiger Woods’ good friend, Notah Begay III, discussed the health of the 15-time major champion.

“He’s trying to formulate a strategy and approach that he can work within given the constraints that he’s presented with. And he’s got some constraints,” Begay said. “He’s got zero mobility in that left ankle and really has low-back challenges now, which he knew he was going to have.”

At Begay’s tournament he hosts that Tiger’s son Charlie played in, Tiger told him, “My ankle doesn’t move. So, something’s going to take the stress. I mean, the stress is going to transfer somewhere else.”

At the Genesis Invitational, that pain transferred to Woods’ back, causing him to withdraw from the tournament.

“For the past couple months, he’s been trying to find a way to recover,” Begay added. “He can play the golf. We always knew the question was going to be ‘Can he walk the 72 (holes)?’ That’s still up in the air. But can he recover, from one round to the next? That’s the biggest question that I really don’t know and he’s not going to know either until he gets out there and figures out whether the way he’s prepared for this year’s Masters is going to work for him.”

Last year, Woods made the cut at Augusta, but was forced to withdraw over the weekend due to plantar fasciitis.

The week will be sure to test Tiger, as Augusta National is one of the most difficult walks in golf.

More from the 19th Hole

 

Earlier this season, PGA Tour star Tommy Fleetwood was spotted alongside Tyrrell Hatton and Jon Rahm at LIV Las Vegas. The European was off that week and was catching up with some of his Ryder Cup teammates at the golf course.

While speaking with The Guardian, the Englishman explained his reasoning for going to the event.

“I really didn’t think that much about it. I was over there, lots of us talk about LIV but never see it so I wanted to see what a tournament was like.

“There are also so many people there that we don’t see any more, who I would still class as friends. Players, people who work on the tour, my trainer works there. So, I had a free morning, went for a few hours and that was it.”

When asked if he knew that his appearance would cause some speculation, Fleetwood acknowledged that he knew it was a possibility.

“It was pretty obvious that would happen but it is difficult when you know there is nothing to it and a lot of people want to make something of it,” Fleetwood said. “That’s just the way things are. I didn’t want to feel like I couldn’t go just because people would say things. I think it came across that I just wanted to go and see friends and that really was the main thing. It was nice to see a lot of people.”

“I obviously know what I am doing, where I am playing. You can’t do much about what’s said elsewhere. It was the same as going to that event, I knew why I was there. I don’t find it distracting at all.”

Fleetwood also gave The Guardian his thoughts on LIV and how the players seemed when he made the visit.

“They are obviously doing pretty well for what they are. The players seem to enjoy it, seem to enjoy playing on that tour; one of the first things I noticed was that everybody seems happy, chilled, relaxed.”

“There are certain things I wasn’t used to; the music, I don’t know how I would feel about playing with that. Beyond that my biggest takeaway was that it was just another golf tournament. Everyone seemed very professional and working very hard. It’s basically just a bunch of people who you knew out here that are now there. So many things have just carried over.”

The 33-year-old is set to tee it up at this week’s Valero Texas Open. He’s struggled a bit so far this season, so he will be looking to find form prior to his trip to Augusta National.

More from the 19th Hole

On Wednesday, the New York Times published a story about Tiger Woods’ 2024 Masters preparation.

According to the article, a friend of Woods told them that he is so focused on Augusta that he’s eliminated sex.

“He’s focused,” Tiger’s friend says. “He’s working really hard in the gym. He’s eating right. He’s even eliminated sex.

“He does that now when he’s preparing: no sex until the tournament is over. He doesn’t want anything to take away his focus.”

The New York Post followed up by asking Woods’ friend if he’s dating anyone since he and his previous girlfriend of six years Erica Herman split.

“There’s no one to speak of,” he said.

Tiger will head into the Masters without having played four rounds of golf since the Hero World Challenge back in December.

More from the 19th Hole