Tiger Woods Injury Update: Star Will Play in 2015 Masters

Tiger Woods hasn't played in a tournament since February, but the 14-time major champion announced Friday he will play in the 2015 Masters.

"I'm playing in the Masters. It's obviously very important to me, and I want to be there," Woods said. "I've worked a lot on my game, and I'm looking forward to competing. I'm excited to get to Augusta, and I appreciate everyone's support."

After withdrawing from the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines due to a back injury, the 39-year-old star made the decision to temporarily step away from competition. In a statement on his website, Woods cited a need to round his game back into form.

"Right now, I need a lot of work on my game, and to still spend time with the people that are important to me," Tiger wrote. "My play, and scores, are not acceptable for tournament golf. Like I've said, I enter a tournament to compete at the highest level, and when I think I'm ready, I'll be back."

The four-time Masters winner followed that up with another statement on March 13, ahead of the Arnold Palmer Invitational. Although he didn't make any promises one way or the other, Woods stated his desire to vie for a fifth green jacket:

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I've put in a lot of time and work on my game and I'm making strides, but like I've said, I won't return to the PGA TOUR until my game is tournament ready and I can compete at the highest level. I hope to be ready for the Masters, and I will continue to work hard preparing for Augusta.

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Woods continued to keep his cards close to the vest, but his former Stanford teammate and roommate Notah Begay III offered a glimmer of hope for golf fans when he declared on March 25 that his friend was "50-50" for the Masters, according to 120 Sports (h/t Ryan Lavner of GolfChannel.com).

Begay also added that the time away was doing wonders for Tiger's game.

"I think his golf game as a whole is in a great place," Begay said. "I think it was good for him to stay a step back, to reassess a variety of different things and do things on his timeline."

Woods was out of sorts in the Farmers Insurance Open, so Begay's comments raised the eyebrows of many, including Woods' former swing coach, Hank Haney:

Despite the obvious skepticism, Tiger apparently believes he is in good enough health and form to be competitive in one of the year's biggest events.

Considering his recent struggles, few realistically believe Woods has a chance to win. But there will still be pressure on him to perform because of his name.

Provided Woods is able to at least take some positives out of the Masters, it should bode well for him moving forward.

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