Woods set to play at Augusta as Matsuyama defends title – Masters talking points
Rory McIlroy is also looking to complete a career grand slam.
Tiger Woods plans to compete in the 86th Masters this week, less than 14 months after suffering serious injuries in an horrific car crash.
The 15-time major winner, who feared shortly after the accident that his right leg would have to be amputated, has not contested a top-level event since the 2020 Masters, which was played in November due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Here, the PA news agency looks at some of the main talking points ahead of the year’s first men’s major championship.
How will Woods fare at Augusta?
Can Matsuyama retain his title?
The chances of Hideki Matsuyama joining the illustrious trio of back-to-back winners looked good when he ended his 2021 campaign with a five-shot victory in his native Japan and then won the Sony Open in Hawaii on his second start of 2022. However, a lingering back injury forced him to pull out of the Players Championship shortly before the start of round one and he withdrew from last week’s Valero Texas Open with a neck problem midway through the second round.
Eighth time lucky for McIlroy?
How will the new world number one do?
Scottie Scheffler replaced Jon Rahm at the top of the rankings following his victory in the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play, a remarkable third win in his last five starts in 2022. The 25-year-old also beat Rahm in their singles contest in the Ryder Cup in 2021, a year in which he finished in the top 10 in the US Open, Open Championship and US PGA. His “worst” result in a major last year was still a more than respectable tie for 18th in the Masters, while he was also tied 19th on his debut at Augusta in 2020.
Will we learn more about Mickelson’s status?
