ATLANTA — Tiger Woods is 48 years old, carrying around a body wracked by years of injuries, and has played in all of two tournaments since last year's Masters.
But, still, you have to feel like he's always got a chance at Augusta National.
That's how he's feeling, at least.
"If everything comes together," he said Tuesday to reporters at his pre-tournament press availability, "I think I can get one more."
As has been the case the last few years, Tiger indicated in his comments that his most immediate obstacle at The Masters this week will be his own body. Most recently, he had ankle surgery last year and said that's feeling well enough, but other parts of his body continue to creak and bear the load.
"The ankle doesn't hurt anymore, it's fused, it's not going anywhere, so that's fine," he said. "It's other parts of my body that now have to take the brunt of it... the back, the knee, other parts of the body have to take the load of it and, just the endurance capability of walking a long time and being on my feet for a long time."
The five-time Masters winner added in straightforward language: "I hurt every day."
But he also spoke at length about his long memory with Augusta National and how he can draw on a "mental rolodex" of shots from playing the Masters for nearly three decades.
"I think it's consistency, it's longevity and it's understanding how to play this golf course," he said. "One of the reasons why you see players that are in their 50s and 60s make cuts here or players in their late 40s have runs at winning the event, is just an understanding of how to play it. Now you still have to go out and execute it, but there is a lot of knowledge that goes into understanding how to play it."
Tiger also spoke at length about his continued love of competing -- and how it hasn't waned.
"I just love doing the work, love logging the time in, love preparing, love competing, love that feeling when everything's on fire with a chance to win," he said. "And either you do or you don't."
And he was asked if he's begun to envision the day when that chance for everything to catch fire is too remote -- when he becomes a "ceremonial player" or an honorary starter.
You can imagine his answer: No.
"I don't know when that day is, when that day comes, but I still that I can (win)," Tiger said. "I haven't got to that point where I don't think I can."
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