Tiger Woods loves changes to Augusta for The Masters: "Absolutely amazing"
Tiger Woods spoke highly about the changes made to Augusta National ahead of The Masters in April, but will he be competing next week?
Tiger Woods described the changes made to Augusta National ahead of The Masters as "absolutely amazing."
Speaking to Golf Digest, Woods was extremely complimentary of the changes made to the 11th and 15th holes and the general refinement to the putting surfaces.
The five-time Masters champion said that despite significant changes being made, Augusta has still maintained its character ahead of the first major of the season.
Woods is still yet to confirm his participation in this year's tournament, but a trip to Georgia earlier in the week with Justin Thomas and his son Charlie was the biggest hint yet that he could compete.
"If they didn’t tell you that they changed anything and you go there, you’d think it looks the same as it did every other year. It’s just absolutely amazing," Woods said.
Related: Rory McIlroy on Tiger Woods Masters return: "He likes to prove people wrong"
"The 11th hole, I think it’s a good change. (They) took a little of the dogleg out and took some trees out of the right-hand side. That’s a good change.
"And then 15, I haven’t seen it yet, but we’re almost going to be on the back of 10 green. I didn’t know there was land back there. They find land, they can make land.
"Every green has been re-done, every green has gotten softer than it used to be when I first played it, just because of the fact that where the golf ball has changed, we're hitting the same irons but not the same trajectory.
"We're hitting 8-irons from where Jack (Nicklaus) was hitting 8-irons, but 8-irons are from 185 yards, so the angle of descent is slightly different from what Balata balls used to be."
"Some of the greens have got more difficult. The 11th green, the Larry Mize shot is gone. There's no bump and run over there, they've put a little mound there on the right-hand side and that's the bailout, the bailout right away from the lake."
The 15-time major champion was recently filmed hitting a driver at Medalist Golf Club. It certainly seems like the 46-year-old is determined to play at The Masters.