Tiger Woods back out on course at Augusta one day before big Masters return - in pictures

Fans flock again to watch American in action ahead of first major of year

Golf - The Masters - Augusta National Golf Club - Augusta, Georgia, U. S. - April 6, 2022 Tiger Woods of the U. S. reacts after he tees off on the 17th during a practice round REUTERS / Mike Blake

Tiger Woods hits his tee-shot on the 18th hole at Augusta. EPA

Tiger Woods on the 16th green during a practice round ahead of the Masters. Reuters

US golfer Tiger Woods on the 18th hole. Reuters

Tiger Woods with his caddie Joe LaCava on the 13th hole. AFP

Tiger Woods fist bumps his caddie as Fred Couples looks on. Reuters

Tiger Woods on the 18th green during practice ahead of the Masters. Reuters

Left to right: Tiger Woods, Fred Couples and Justin Thomas on the 16th hole. Getty

Tiger Woods on the 13th hole at Augusta. AFP

Fred Couples, Tiger Woods and Justin Thomas skip balls across the lake on the 16th hole. AFP

A bumper crowd watch Tiger Woods on the 15th hole at the Augusta National Golf Club. EPA

Tiger Woods with Fred Couples on the 16th hole. AP

Tiger Woods hits out of a bunker on the 15th hole. AP

Tiger Woods chips onto the 18th green. Reuters

Tiger Woods plays his shot from the 14th tee during practice ahead of the Masters. AFP

Tiger Woods during his practice round at Augusta National Golf Club. Getty

Tiger Woods was back out on the Augusta National course on Wednesday before his big return to action at the Masters from a horror car accident last year.

The 15-time major winner announced on Tuesday that he was aiming to tee-off in the opening major of the year after playing nine practice holes the following day.

“I don’t show up to an event unless I think I can win it,” Woods said. “I can hit it just fine. I don’t have any qualms about what I can do from a golf standpoint. It’s now walking is the hard part.”

Woods sustained severe injuries to his right leg in the car accident in February 2021 and later admitted: “I’m lucky to be alive and to still have the limb. [Amputation] was on the table.”

But the comeback looks almost complete as thousands of fans watched him in action again during his practice holes on Wednesday.

Woods, 46, arrived at Augusta early and played the back nine along with 1992 Masters champion Fred Couples and world No 7 Justin Thomas.

“Tiger is Tiger. I said it on Monday that he's not like a lot of us where I've been injured even at age 35 and I go play just to play,” Couples said.

“He's not going to do that. He's won so many times, and he's just not a guy to go do something mediocre. He'll compete, and he'll be ready to roll.”

You can see images from Woods at Augusta in the gallery above. To move on to the next photo, click on the arrows or if using a mobile device, simply swipe.