Tiger Woods had to withdraw from the Dubai Desert Classic in February, putting the brakes on yet another comeback for the greatest player of his generation — and perhaps ever. Woods has suffered a series of injuries and had multiple surgeries, but this time it was his chronic back spasms that forced his withdrawal. Woods, like Michael Jordan, is about more than playing his sport. The Nike-backed superstar is still the biggest name in the game — and a money-making machine — and he has a reputation to manage. That’s where tenacious superagent Mark Steinberg comes in. (For more on Steinberg, read this.)
Woods was on Good Morning America this week, chatting it up and saying he’d love to play the Masters Tournament in a couple of weeks. (No other golfer ranked in the vicinity of #742, as Woods is, could get near Good Morning America, of course.) The possibility that Woods could play contradicts a Golf Digest story citing “multiple sources” calling Woods’ teeing it up at Augusta “doubtful.” Enter Steinberg, who issued the following statement to veteran golf journalist Tim Rosaforte, according to Bleacher Report:
“I have no idea who Mr. Wacker’s really close sources are. I can tell you this: Nobody spoke to him [Wacker], so how he could know something that Tiger and I don’t know is comical. I talked to Tiger four hours ago on the phone. We’re not in a situation to even talk about playing in the Masters now. He’s gotten treatments and is progressing and hoping he can do it. There’s not been a decision one way or the other. I couldn’t give you a fair assessment, but to say it’s doubtful is an absolutely inaccurate statement.”
WATCH: @TigerWoods “trying everything” to play in @TheMasters this year: https://t.co/98vCCnmM89 pic.twitter.com/hT0KlnVvnI
— Good Morning America (@GMA) March 20, 2017
