Tiger Woods to play the Masters for the first time in three years

Tiger Woods has made it official: he will play in the 2018 Masters.

Woods added the men’s first major of the season to his 2018 schedule following a T5 finish at last week’s Arnold Palmer Invitational.

Woods’ decision to go for his fifth green jacket was hardly a shocker, since his early-season play has always been about building toward Augusta. At the start of this year, after undergoing spinal fusion surgery last April and returning to official PGA Tour competition in January at Torrey Pines, Woods’ aim was to get into tournament rhythm and learn what to expect from his body and his game.

It didn’t take long for Woods and the rest of the golf world to recognize that this comeback was different from those after his three other back surgeries that essentially put him on the disabled list for two years after a T10 finish at the 2015 Wyndham Classic.

After sharing 23rd place in his first event of the year, the Farmers Insurance Open, Woods missed the cut at the Genesis Open but bounced back with a 12th-place outcome at the Honda Classic. A share of second place in his Valspar Championship debut was next, followed by his final Masters tuneup at Bay Hill, where he earned eight of his 79 tour wins, and this year came in at 10-under — eight shots back of winner Rory McIlroy.

Despite having no PGA Tour wins since 2013, Woods’ play during his comeback has encouraged gamblers to make him the oddsmakers’ favorite (8-1 at Golfodds.com) to emerge victorious at Augusta.

This year’s tilt at Augusta will be Woods’ first since he finished in a tie for 17th in 2015. The winner of four Masters tournaments, he missed the 2014 edition because of back surgery.

Woods, who started the year ranked 656th has surged up the official world golf rankings to No. 105 following his impressive performance at Bay Hill.