Tiger Woods fall from grace clearer than ever as Masters chances nonexistent after return confirmed

Tiger Woods has officially been declared in the field for the Masters this year – his first Major of the season – but the golf icon is not expected to come anywhere close to competing.

Tiger Woods has drifted out to his longest ever Masters odds since his name appeared on the updated entry list for the first Major of the season.

The American superstar, now 48, will tee up in his 26th Masters with the aim of setting a new record of cuts made in Augusta. But the odds of winning a record-equalling sixth Green Jacket have actually gone out since the world No.941 remained on the invite list on the 2024 Masters App last week.

Woods is unlikely to play any warm-up events and has not finished a PGA Tour event for 13 months. The 15-time Major winner pulled out during the third round in Augusta last year with a foot problem and then withdrew after 24 holes at the Genesis Invitational in February because of flu.

His last active involvement in the PGA Tour was hosting talks with the Saudi Public Investment Fund – and Newcastle chairman Yasser Al-Rumayyan – in the Bahamas last week. Woods produced a golfing miracle by winning the Masters in 2019 – his 14th top-ten finish there – but bookies and punters don’t reckon he can repeat history if he does tee up on April 11.

William Hill spokesperson Lee Phelps, said: “It doesn’t look like Tiger will play again before Augusta and that means he’ll have had less than two competitive rounds this year which is hardly the prep he needs. “After his name was added to the Masters field list last week, we’ve actually seen a drift on his price for a sixth Green Jacket, with the 15-time Major champion now 125/1 having been 100/1 prior to the announcement.

“We haven’t observed significant interest in him so far, but betters tend to have a special fondness for Tiger, and we anticipate receiving numerous bets on him winning.

The odds of 10/1 for him finishing in the top-10 are also likely to attract many bets.” Woods has not been very active in competitions following his car accident in February 2021 in Los Angeles. In the previous year, he managed to make the cut at Augusta for the 23rd time in a row, matching the all-time record set by Gary Player and Fred Couples.