Tiger Woods has confirmed he WILL play in this Masters this week – and is ‘only here to win’Credit: Getty

Thousands of spectators watched Woods in a practice round on MondayCredit: EPA

Woods is a five-time winner at AugustaCredit: AP:Associated Press

Asked if he thinks he can equal Jack Nicklaus’ six Masters, Woods said: “I do. I don’t show up to an event unless I think I can win. So that’s the attitude I’ve had.

“I love competing and I feel like if I can still compete at the highest level, I’m going to. As of right now, I am going to play.

“And if I feel like I can still win, I’m going to play. But if I feel like I can’t, then you won’t see me out here.”

Woods, who is wearing specially made shoes to support his ankles, will play another nine holes on Wednesday before confirming his decision.

But he claimed he would be content with his haul of Majors and joint-record 82 PGA Tour titles along with Sam Snead.

He added: “There will be a day when it won’t happen and that will be when I hang it up.

“But I feel like I can still do it. My recovery has been good and I’m excited about how I’ve recovered each day.”

Woods did, however, admit that walking for an extended time does still cause him discomfort.

He added: “I’ve had to endure pain before but this is different, a lot more traumatic.

“I haven’t been in situations like this where I’ve had to walk.

“I can hit it just fine. I don’t have any qualms about what I can do from a golf standpoint. It’s just that walking is the hard part.

“The only flat spots out here are the 18 tee boxes. Other than that, there’s nothing flat.

“Now, given the condition that my leg is in, it gets even more difficult — and 72 holes is a long road.

“My surgeons gave me a chance. Now it’s up to me to endure the pain.”

This could well be a final hurrah, as Woods admitted: “I don’t know how many more years I can do this. My movement probably will not get much better.

“After the accident, I never left that hospital bed, even to see my living room, for three months. That was a tough road.

“To finally get out of that, where I wasn’t in a wheelchair or using crutches and be walking and still  had more surgeries ahead of me, to say that I was going to be here  playing, it would have been very unlikely.

“It’s been a tough, tough year and a lot of stuff that I had to deal with that I don’t wish on anyone.

“But here we are, Masters week.”

Doctors considered amputating Woods’ leg after he crashed his car in February 2021Credit: The Mega Agency

Woods suffered significant injuries to his right leg and needed a major operationCredit: https://www.instagram.com/tigerwoods/

Woods drew thousands of spectators on Monday as he played a practice round at Augusta.

More than 50,000 are said to have turned up to watch the 15-time Major winner in action.

The American icon has not played in a Major since his near-fatal car crash in February 2021.

Woods played in December at the PNC Challenge, a 36-hole scramble on a flat Florida course where he and his son Charlie finished second to John Daly and his son.

Woods was allowed to use a cart in that event, and when those rounds were over he flatly dismissed any notion that his game was tour-ready again.

Tiger Woods’ last round had been circulated online – showing his incredible run of 5 birdies in the last 6 holes

On December 19, he said: “I cant compete against these guys right now, no. It’s going to take a lot of work to get to where I feel like I can compete at these guys and be at a high level.”

Nearly four months later, and in what will be the 25th anniversary since his first appearance at Augusta, he will play.

It’ll be his 24th appearance at The Masters – he’s finished in the top five 12 times in his previous 23 appearances.

Thursday’s opening round would mark the first time Woods competes against the world’s best players since November 15, 2020 – the final round of that year’s pandemic-delayed Masters.

He had his fifth back surgery two months later and was still recovering from that when he crashed his car and rolled it down the side of a hill on a coastal road just outside of Los Angeles.

Woods’ injuries were so severe that doctors considered amputation before reassembling his right leg by placing a rod in the tibia and using screws and pins to stabilise additional injuries in the ankle and foot.