Can Tiger Woods actually win the 2022 Masters? Of course he can!

Haven't we learned by now to never doubt Tiger Woods?

This is the online version of our daily newsletter, The Morning Win. Subscribe to get irreverent and incisive sports stories, delivered to your mailbox every morning.

Tiger Woods made everyone feel good yesterday when he said in his Masters press conference that he feels like he’s going to play when the tournament begins on Thursday.

The GOAT added that he’s going to play nine more holes today and then get his body ready for the first round.

He was also asked if he thinks he can win the Masters, to which he said, rather simply, “I do.”

And he can.

I’m serious. Tiger Woods could really end up winning this thing. I predicted before the start of his 2019 victory at Augusta that he would win his fifth green jacket and then he went out and did just that.

So why can’t he go out and do it again this year?

I know what you’re thinking – this time is different. He’s playing in just his first official tournament since his very serious car accident and his body is still very much feeling the effects of the awful leg injuries that he suffered.

That is all very true. This is absolutely very different before but it’s also very much the same.

If you’ve watched Tiger, and his new shoes, at all this week and seen the way he’s hitting balls on the range and how he’s talking to people around the practice area and how he’s handling playing in front of the massive crowds during practice rounds then you know the most important thing there is to know about Tiger this time around – he’s very comfortable with where he’s at and he’s very confident in his game.

That’s all I need to know to understand that yes, he’s ready to not just play in this thing but to contend as well.

The Masters is special in that the more times you play the tournament the more you get to know the course and what it takes to make good scores and, more importantly, what it takes to stay out of trouble. Nobody knows this place better than Tiger and he knows that.

Everyone knows that.

He also knows his game, which is the greatest in the history of the sport, is in a very good place and he has no problem bringing it to the biggest stage in golf. He’s not in Augusta to shoot two rounds in the 80s, wave to the crowd, and be on his private jet headed home on Friday night.

He really is there to win the darn thing and if he thinks he can win it then I think he can win it, too.

We’ve all learned by now to never doubt Tiger Woods and the drive he has to be Tiger freaking Woods.

So let’s all just sit back and enjoy the ride. Because this is going to be fun. And emotional. But lots of fun.

Oh, and if he breaks out the mock turtleneck on Thursday then this thing be over.

Quick hits: Hysterical Lakers ‘One Shining Moment’ video… Rahm’s funny Tiger story… Self’s sweet championship gift.

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

– The Lakers were officially eliminated from playoff contention last night and a fan came up with a hysterical ‘One Shining Moment’ video that shows all of their bad moments from the season. This is too funny.

– Jon Rahm explaining how little advice he’s gotten from Tiger Woods over the years is pretty darn funny, too.

– Bill Self gave a sweet gift to Devon Dotson, whose 2020 season with Kansas was canceled due to COVID.