Tiger Woods ' former coach Butch Harmon believes the 15-time major champion still has the ability to compete for the green jacket at this week's Masters Tournament, but raised question marks about the gruelling test that Augusta National poses.
Woods is back in action for only the second time this year, as he continues to play out his now part-time career on the PGA Tour. Woods' playing plans have been hampered in recent years due to life-changing injuries suffered in a car accident in February 2021.
One year ago the 82-time PGA Tour winner made a fairytale return at Augusta, competing in his first tournament since the accident which occurred 14 months prior.
Amid all his titles, major championships and records, his Masters comeback last April was arguably his most impressive accomplishment yet, having battled through a gruelling rehabilitation process to return to the top of the game he had dominated for years. What made it all the more commendable was the fact Woods completed all 72 holes, despite the fierce test the famous Georgia course presents both physically and mentally.
One year on the five-time champion is back for more Masters glory, despite his fitness battle still ongoing. Ahead of his return last April, Woods was asked whether he felt he could win a fourth green jacket, to which - in typical Tiger fashion - he replied: "I do."
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Tiger Woods returns to action this week (Getty Images)Twelve months later, Woods' mentality will no doubt still be the same, and one man who is inclined to agree with him is his former coach Harmon. His only question mark though, once again, surrounds the challenge Augusta National poses. Speaking exclusively to Mirror Sport ahead of this week's event at Augusta, Sky Sports Golf expert Harmon said: "I think his game is good enough for him to compete to win there.
"But I don’t know physically how strong he will be walking 72 holes... It is very difficult, it is a hard golf course to walk because of the hills. You get a lot of side hill lies, ball below your feet, ball above, downhill, uphill, which puts a lot of strain on the body physically.
"In Tiger’s case it is more the stamina of whether he can walk the 72 holes. From watching him I know his game can handle playing it, it is just if he can physically do it."
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Butch Harmon is one of the sport's most well-respected coaches (Getty Images)
Butch Harmon worked alongside Tiger Woods for 11 years (Getty Images)Harmon is no stranger to Woods' game, having coached the 82-time PGA Tour winner from 1993 through 2004, enjoying unprecedented success along the way.
In that time Woods won 39 PGA Tour events, including eight of his 15 major championships. Nearly 20 years on from his split with the world renowned coach, the American is no doubt closer to the end of his staggering career rather than the beginning.
Harmon however believes, as long as he feels like he compete at the top of leaderboards, Woods will continue to a tee it up alongside the very best. Asked how long he feels the 15-time major champion will continue to play on the PGA Tour, the 79-year-old responded: "As long as he feels like he can compete.
"Tiger won’t tee it up, just for the sake of teeing it up and shooting very high numbers. That isn’t who he is, he is a competitor. He feels he can be competitive and his body will allow it, he will go for as long as he feels capable of it."
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