Last-Minute Projections for Tiger Woods at the 2023 Masters

Tiger Woods playing at the Masters is one of the most magical sights in sports.

The 47-year-old has delivered so many memorable moments at Augusta National Golf Club, and it's hard not to get caught up in the nostalgia whenever he takes part in the season's first major.

Woods' biggest fans will always hold out hope he can produce one more fantastic weekend in Georgia.

His 2019 victory at Augusta gave golf fans reason to believe that the 15-time major winner could compete with anyone in the field.

However, a lot has changed since that triumph four years ago. Woods made the cut in only one of his three major starts in 2022 and has not finished inside the top 30 at any major since the 2019 U.S. Open.

The five-time Masters winner should come into Augusta with the realistic expectation to make the cut and then see where the tournament takes him from there.

He missed the cut once at Augusta in 1996, which was his second appearance at the tournament and first as a professional.

Woods qualified for the weekend rounds last year with opening round scores of 71 and 74. That is the positive sign for those who believe he will feature in all four rounds in 2023.

Getting through the weekend with a notable finish is another achievement entirely. He recorded consecutive 78s to land in 47th place 12 months ago.

In 2020, Woods got off to a blazing start with a 68, but his score worsened over the next three rounds. He finished with a 76 that dropped him into a tie for 38th.

The two Masters appearances after his 2019 triumph suggest the veteran could get off to a decent start and be a part of some tournament conversation when Saturday rolls around.

Woods will try to extend that decent opening form while playing alongside Viktor Hovland and Xander Schauffele.

The threesome are scheduled to tee off at 10:18 a.m. on Thursday and 1:24 p.m. on Friday.

The tee-time draw should help Woods recover physically and may give him an advantage compared to other golfers.

The Weather Channel is forecasting a potential isolated thunderstorm flare-up on Thursday afternoon.

Woods' opening round could be completed, or close to done, by the time any weather threat rolls into Augusta. A delay longer than an hour could shift some first-round play into Friday, which would be less than ideal for the golfing legend, who has dealt with back and leg injuries in the past.

Woods could play in the rain on Friday, as showers are forecasted throughout the day. Those would not be ideal conditions, but the preference is to play one of the two opening rounds in the wet instead of both.

Few people expect Woods to be at the top of the leaderboard on Sunday if he makes the cut, but he is still capable of producing some memorable moments on certain holes throughout the weekend.

The best-case scenario is for Woods to make the cut and play well enough on Saturday and Sunday to be relevant in some capacity before the leaders take over the show.

Projection: Tiger Woods makes cut, finishes in 35th place.

Score Projections: 71-72-74-77