It’s Masters week, and everyone is talking about a golfer who isn’t there … Tiger Woods. We address the elephant in the room and also rank the field, as the first round tees off today. We’ll be live-blogging the final round Sunday, so hang out with us. We’ll be serving pimento cheese sandwiches. As always, check NBC News for more coverage.
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Concern for Tiger
Tiger Woods won’t be at the Masters but his presence looms large. He’s been a frequent topic of conversation at Augusta this week, after he was arrested on a DUI charge in Florida last month after a vehicle rollover.
Woods has won the famed green jacket five times, his most wins in any of the PGA Tour’s majors. Those wins include his dominant 12-stroke victory in 1997 and his emotional win in 2019, which remains Woods’ last professional win, major or otherwise.
This year marks only the sixth time Woods will not play in the tournament since debuting at Augusta in 1995, and the reaction of his fellow golfers seems to echo the larger feeling of fans: concern.
On Thursday, former Masters champion Gary Player told reporters, “Do I blame him for taking medicine? Hell, no. He has sleep deprivation. Do I blame him for taking something to help him sleep? No.
“But I don’t think he should drive a car. When you’re taking that medicine, it’s dangerous when you’re driving a car, same as it’s dangerous when you look at your cellphone in the car.”
While Jason Day, the 2011 Masters runner-up, said it was a little “selfish” of Woods to drive and put people in harm’s way, he also described Woods as his hero.
“I know that he’s getting the help now, which is good,” Day added. “I’m just hoping he comes out on the other side and is better.”
Fred Couples, a longtime practice partner of Woods, said to reporters, “What would I tell him? I tell him I love him and things can always get better.”
Said Bubba Watson, a two-time Masters champ: “I told him from day one that we started hanging out back in ‘06, ‘07, somewhere in there, that I’m pulling for him as a human being. Forget his golf, I could care less about his golf.”
Jon Rahm, the 2023 Masters winner, hopes to see him back on the course.
“All I can hope is that he gets the help that he can get and he can come back in a better position after that,” Rahm said. “I mean, he is arguably the king of comebacks. If there’s somebody that has the mental strength to come back from an issue like that, it will be him.”
Ranking the Field
Ninety-one players are slated to play in the 90th Masters Tournament this week at Augusta National Golf Club, marking the start of the 2026 majors season.
Who will slip on the green jacket come Sunday evening? If history is any indication, the list of true contenders can usually be cut down to about a dozen players based on tournament trends.
NBC Sports’ Patricia Duffy ranked the field:
1. Matt Fitzpatrick: The 2022 U.S. Open champion is coming off a win at the Valspar in his last start. Before that, he finished second at The Players. He ranks second on Tour in strokes gained tee-to-green and seventh in approach. Whether he can conquer Augusta’s fast and complex greens will likely determine if this is his year.
2. Ludvig Åberg: Two starts, two top 10s. Åberg finished solo second in his Masters debut in 2024 and followed it up with a solo seventh. He’s hot this season, posting three top-five finishes in his past three starts. At the same time, he’s had multiple chances to win this season but come up short, like his final round collapse at the Players a few weeks ago.
3. Robert MacIntyre: MacIntyre has been right there with Åberg at both the Players (fourth) and Valero (T-2), but while Åberg dropped the ball at TPC Sawgrass, Bobby Mac did it at TPC San Antonio last weekend.
4. Jon Rahm: Five starts on LIV this season and the Spaniard hasn’t finished lower than fifth. He won in Hong Kong and has three runner-up finishes. The 2023 Masters champion was T-14 in 2025 and seems to be playing better this year.
There are 87 more golfers to go! Read the rest of NBC Sports’ rankings here.
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What We’re Reading
The Justice Department has opened an investigation into whether the NFL is forcing football fans to pay too much in TV subscription fees.
Florida prosecutors seek Tiger Woods’ medication records after his DUI arrest.
In honor of noted Chicago White Sox fan Pope Leo XIV, the team plans to give away limited-edition “Pope hats,” during a game on August 11.
RIP Dodgers great Davy Lopes.
Hall of Famer Sue Bird is joining NBC Sports as a WNBA studio analyst. Welcome to the Peacock, Sue!
WNBA stars get the franchise tag worth up to $1.4 million.
The Big Ten conference is dominating college sports in the NIL era.
Angels’ Jorge Soler and Braves’ Reynaldo Lopez get a seven-game suspension for their brawl.
The NCAA is proposing major changes to its eligibility rules, including age limits.
Paige Bueckers used one word to describe the spat between her former coach, Geno Auriemma, and Dawn Staley.
What We’re Watching
By the time you’re reading this, ESPN will be airing first round coverage of the Masters. A reminder: We’ll be live-blogging the final round Sunday, tracking the leaderboard, following every shot, providing insight and analysis.
Tonight, there’s a heavyweight matchup in the NBA between the Boston Celtics and the New York Knicks. Celtics star Jayson Tatum will be returning to Madison Square Garden, where he tore his Achilles tendon during last year’s playoffs.
All times are Eastern:
- 3 p.m.: First round coverage of the Masters, on ESPN
- 7:30 p.m.: Boston Celtics vs. New York Knicks, on Amazon Prime
- 10 p.m.: Los Angeles Lakers vs. Golden State Warriors, on Amazon Prime
That’s it for now! We’ll be back tomorrow.
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