Who Says Tiger Woods Can’t Win The 2022 Masters?

Could Tiger Woods . . . ?

Nah.

The guy ranked 12th by Forbes in 2021 world’s highest-paid athletes earnings at $60 million is 46 these days.

Wait. Wasn’t Jack Nicklaus that same age in 1986? That’s when The Golden Bear punched Father Time in the mouth with his driving, chipping and putting to grab his record 18th and final major golf tournament at the Masters.

Yeah, this Tiger could become that Bear, but 14 months ago, Woods crashed into a tree with his SUV in southern California, and then he flipped several times after he left the highway going twice the speed limit of 45 mph. He was yanked from the vehicle through the windscreen. He survived, but his right leg was so damaged that doctors at Harbor-UCLA Medical Hospital considered amputation.

Walking became Tiger’s priority.

Golfing was just a fantasy.

The same went for the return of The Tiger Effect for television network executives.

About The Tiger Effect: No golf tournament ever drew more viewers than the 1997 Masters. In the end, 44 million folks saw the 21-year-old Woods cruise to a 12-stroke victory during his first official try at Augusta National. In contrast, when he couldn’t play much on the tour in 2008 due to a damaged knee, TV ratings dropped 47% compared to PGA events featuring Woods the previous year.

Tiger eventually returned, along with the ratings.

Then Tiger had that soap opera on Thanksgiving Weekend in 2009 when he drove into a fire hydrant with his Cadillac Escalade after he fled his Florida home following a domestic issue.

Still, that crash wasn’t as physically harmful to Tiger as the one 12 years later that led to his three-week stay in a Los Angeles-area hospital. He developed a limp, which meant the thought of Tiger doing something this weekend at Augusta National such as, well, you know.

It’s just that . . .

Remember that scene of scenes? It occurred three years and seven months ago when nearly half of north Georgia followed Tiger up the 18th fairway toward the green at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta.

Somehow, despite zero victories on the PGA Tour during the previous five years, and despite multiple back and knee surgeries, and despite a DUI arrest the year before after doctors found five different drugs in his body, Tiger headed toward the last hole of the 2018 Tour Championship needing anything less than a double bogey to make those among the friendly mob around him go bonkers.

They went bonkers, and then Tiger shocked the senses in 2019 by snatching his fifth green jacket at the Masters.

Now let’s return to the present, where Tiger is slated to do the improbable Thursday morning at Augusta National. Courtesy of that LA-area car crash, he’ll tee off for the Masters with his right leg containing a metal rod surrounded by a bunch of screws and pins.

Tiger began Masters week with a tease. He flew into Augusta for a practice round Sunday, and he had a slight limp. He tweeted it was “a game-time decision” on whether he’d actually play before he said during his press conference Tuesday, “As of right now, I feel like I am going to play.”

Did Tiger believe he could win?

“I do,” he said quickly.

Which brings us to the future, where the golfing gods could have Tiger departing Amen Corner Sunday evening in good enough shape to finish the last five holes creating another scene of scenes.

Recall the 2018 Tour Championship again, and now imagine much of north Georgia following Woods again — but only with the dogwoods and the azaleas shaking when the Augusta National roars become roars along the way to Tiger covering his red Nike shirt for the day with a sixth green jacket.

It feels possible.