Tiger Woods believes it is simply "a matter of time" before Rory McIlroy wins the Masters, backing him to complete a career grand slam in due course.

The Northern Irishman is a four-time major winner, and has claimed all three of golf's other key honours in his career.

But the nearest he has come to success at Augusta National was last year, when he finished second, three strokes off victor Scottie Scheffler.

Woods, a five-time champion in Georgia, thinks it is just a waiting game for McIlroy now, and is confident he will claim the green jacket before long.

"He will [win it]," he said. "It's a matter of time. He has the talent, he has the game, he has all the tools to be able to win here.

"It's a matter of time. A lot of things have to happen to win at this golf course, a lot has to go right. You have to know how to play the course.

"Last year he had a great run and put himself [in] there. Whether it's this year, next year or whatever, he will do it, and he will have a career grand slam."

Woods also weighed in on the anticipated revamp to several key events on the PGA Tour, with plans for no-cut tournaments in response to LIV Golf.

The 15-time major winner feels it has potential, suggesting it will not penalise players for poor performance, but stressed no firm calls had been made yet.

"There [are] still some discussions about some of the designated events and whether we're going to have cuts," he added.

"I'm certainly pushing for my event to have a cut. Maybe the player-hosted events will have cuts. There does need to be a penalty for not playing well.

"Every event shouldn't be a guaranteed 72 holes. We're trying to figure that out, to see where those designated events will be and how many there will be."

Tiger Woods plans to relish every moment when he makes his 25th start at the Masters this week, admitting he is uncertain how many more majors he will be able to play.

Having suffered serious leg injuries in a car crash in 2021, Woods made a stirring return to competitive golf at last year's edition of the Masters.

Five-time champion Woods finished 47th at Augusta National Golf Club last year, making the cut before carding back-to-back 78s across the final two rounds.

While playing his first non-major PGA Tour event since 2020 at February's Genesis Invitational, Woods confirmed he planned to appear at all four majors this year – but the 47-year-old knows that aim is dependent on his fitness.

Asked if the possibility this could be his final major had crossed his mind, Woods told reporters: "Yeah, it has. Last year, I didn't know if I was going to play again at that time. 

"For some reason, everything came together, I pushed a bit and was able to make the cut, which was nice.

"I don't know how many more I have in me, so I just have to be able to appreciate the time I have here and cherish the memories. 

"So much of my life has been here at Augusta National. I'm just so excited to be able to come back here and play."

Woods ended an 11-year major title drought at the 2019 Masters, and while he is not being discussed as a leading contender this time around, he has not given up hope of a repeat performance.  

"Whether I'm a threat, who knows," Woods said. "People probably didn't think I was a threat in 2019 either, but that turned out okay!

"If there's any one golf course I can come back at like I did last year, it's here.

"I think my game is better than it was at this particular time last year. My endurance is better, but it aches a little more than it did last year.

"I just have to be conscious of how much I can push it. I can hit a lot of shots, but the difficulty for me is going to be walking, going forwards. That's how it is.

"It has been tough, and it will always be tough. It will never be the same, I understand that; it's one of the reasons why I can't prepare and play as many tournaments as I would like. That's my future, and I'm okay with that."

Rory McIlroy claims he is more relaxed than ever ahead of this year's Masters, after shedding "scar tissue" last time out.

The world number two returns to Augusta National a year on from a second-place finish, where he finished three strokes behind Scottie Scheffler.

McIlroy's result marked his best-ever return at the Masters, the only one of golf's four majors to elude him across his professional career.

With that performance in 2022 still in his mind, the Northern Irishman feels he can put the ghosts of past Masters to rest for good this time around.

"Not every experience is going to be a good experience," he said ahead of Thursday's first round. "I think that would lead to a pretty boring life.

"You have to learn from those challenges, and [the] scar tissue that has built up. Last year, I maybe shed some of that scar tissue and made a breakthrough.

"I feel like my game is in a pretty good place and I know [Augusta] just about as well as anyone. It's always great to be back at the Masters.

"The whole field has been building up to this point, [so it is] good to be back. I've been up here quite a bit in recent weeks.

"I've played 81 holes, so I've very familiar with the place again. I'm feeling as relaxed as I ever have coming in here."

McIlroy's performance in 2022, where he posted a sensational eight-under final round, saw him bounce back after he failed to make the cut in 2021.

Since then, the Northern Irishman reclaimed top spot on the PGA Tour rankings, though he has been displaced at the summit by Scheffler.

Jordan Spieth is looking to add a second green jacket to his collection, revealing the Masters inspired him to focus on golf.

A winner at Augusta in 2015, aged just 21, Spieth has been unable to secure a second victory at the event and is now braced for his 10th appearance there.

Having secured a triumph at that young age, a second Masters win seemed to be inevitable for Spieth, especially after he won the US Open in the same year, but he has so far fallen short.

In 2016, Spieth finished second and, since then, has had two third-place finishes, the most recent in 2021, all of which put Spieth within touching distance of the title he is desperate to get his hands on again.

It is not just the green jacket that drives Spieth, however, as he shared the personal significance the event has.

"I really fell in love with the game because of this tournament, back to Tiger [Woods'] chip-in to Phil [Mickelson's] first win," he said.

"These were kind of heroic moments when I was at an age where I was playing some other sports and loving golf, and it inspired me to really take up the game and see what kind of moments you can create, because the ball is always in your hands.

"Few things are as electric as those moments they had in sports. I wanted to create my own. From the moment I got here I was always very excited, and I wanted to learn it and fall in love with it. Just a lot of positivity.

"I didn't know what to expect and got off to a nice start my first year and tried to carry it on every year. Yeah, 10th appearance now feels crazy, and I hopefully can match some of those greats that played in how many over the years, I don't know what the record is.

"You guys probably know. It would be pretty special, but at the same time when you get opportunities at a young age and you feel good about your chances, I want to win it again.

"That's the goal. And was able to get a round in yesterday with my brother, which was really fun, and get to work today."

Cameron Smith believes it is crucial for the LIV Golf Invitational Series to have players capable of competing for the title at Augusta.

The Masters starts on Thursday, with the world's best players flocking to Georgia for the first major of the year.

That includes those still registered with the PGA Tour, and the LIV Golf rebels who joined the Saudi Arabia-backed breakaway tournament.

Smith, who won The Open in 2022, was among them. The Australian heads into the Masters in sixth in the world rankings, making him the highest-ranked LIV Golf player.

But having any LIV Golf representative battling it out for the green jacket will mark a success for the tour, according to Smith.

"I think it's just important for LIV guys to be up there because I think we need to be up there," he told reporters while acknowledging the competition in the LIV events is not always as strong as those on the PGA Tour.

"I think there's a lot of chatter about 'these guys don't play real golf; these guys don't play real golf courses'.

"For sure, I'll be the first one to say, the fields aren't as strong. I'm the first one to say that.

"But we've still got a lot of guys up there that can play some really serious golf, and we compete against each other hard week-in and week-out and we're trying to do the same things that we did six months ago.

"It's nice. It's a good feeling to have that competition. I think we just need a good, strong finish."

Tiger Woods should be commended by every player on the PGA Tour for his efforts in fighting the LIV Golf Invitational Series, says Rory McIlroy.

World number two McIlroy has become the PGA Tour's de facto spokesperson over the past year, leading the charge against the Saudi-backed breakaway competition, which has lured some of golf's biggest names.

Woods, too, has stood by the PGA Tour.

Both McIlroy and Woods will be competing alongside some of the LIV Golf rebels at the Masters this week, with the latter back in action where he won the most recent of his 15 major titles back in 2019.

The pair have entered into a business venture – the TGL; the competition will feature 18 players, divided into six teams, competing over 18 holes on a virtual course. It will launch in 2024. 

For McIlroy, the experiences of the past 12 months have only strengthened his bond with Woods.

"I talk to him every day. That's the thing to me. I can remember the first time I met him, and how I felt," McIlroy told BBC Northern Ireland.

"To forge that relationship with him, and for him to really take an interest in what I do and take an interest in my game, my family and all that side of things.

"I'm unbelievably grateful for his friendship and his guidance but also his leadership through everything that's happened in the last 18 months as well.

"If anyone didn't need to do anything, it's Tiger Woods. But he stood up and tried to do what’s right for the game of golf and every single player on the PGA Tour needs to commend him on that."

McIlroy is confident TGL can be a hit with fans and players.

He added: "The business side of things with Tiger and I is amazing. I think TGL is a cool concept and hopefully we'll turn it into not just a cool concept but a cool entertainment project that people can get behind and really enjoy."

For now, the focus for McIlroy is on ending his nine-year wait for a fifth major title.

The 33-year-old has never won at Augusta, with his best finish coming in 2022, when he placed second behind Scottie Scheffler. 

Reflecting on what he could learn from Woods' approach at the Masters, McIlroy said: "The one thing he did really well at Augusta is just discipline.

"It [the course] can really goad you into taking in shots you don't need to take on. If you look at the two most successful players at Augusta, it's Tiger and Jack [Nicklaus].

"They're the two most successful players in the history of our game, so discipline, not taking on too much risk."

Woods has won the Masters five times in his storied career.

Corey Conners won the Valero Texas Open for the second time on Sunday, carding a bogey-free four-under 68 for a one-stroke victory ahead of rookie Sam Stevens.

The Canadian world number 40, who won at TPC San Antonio in 2019, had headed into the final day in second place behind Patrick Rodgers, who had five bogeys on Sunday to slip out of contention.

Conners was faultless, with birdies on the par-five second, followed by the sixth, ninth and 15th holes, opening up a three-shot lead upon the latter.

But Stevens stormed into contention with an eagle on the par-four 17th with a brilliant approach off the tee from 299 yards, before missing a nine-foot birdie putt on the 18th that may have forced a playoff.

Conners held his nerve with a three-foot putt for par on the last to secure victory, his second on the PGA Tour, both in San Antonio. The Canadian's next-best PGA result was a third-place finish at last year's Arnold Palmer Invitational.

The final day surge of 26-year-old Stevens came off a six-under 66 that included five birdies and two eagles to finish at 14-under overall.

Stevens' runner-up finish comes a week after coming third at the Corales Puntacana Championship.

Sam Ryder (66 on Sunday) and Matt Kuchar (68) were tied for third at 13 under, with Rodgers ending up with a one-over final day 73 to fall back to 11 under.

Chez Reavie carded a seven-under 65 to finish tied for sixth at 10-under overall, while Rickie Fowler had a final day six-under 66 to end up eight under.

Tiger Woods was pictured practising at Augusta National Golf Club on Sunday as he prepares to make his 25th start at the Masters.

Woods confirmed he planned to take part in all four majors in February, having played his first non-major PGA Tour event since October 2020 at that month's Genesis Invitational.

Having suffered serious injuries in a car crash in February 2021, Woods made his competitive return to golf at last year's edition of the Masters, finishing 47th after carding back-to-back 78s across the final two rounds.

Five-time Masters champion Woods – who last won the event in 2019 – played in three of 2022's four majors, most recently missing the cut at the 150th Open Championship in July.

Woods spent half an hour hitting balls at the practice range at Augusta on Sunday, having arrived at the course around 3pm local time.

Asked about the limited schedule he was looking to play back in February, Woods said: "My goal each and every year from here going forward is to play in all the majors.

"I'm not going to play too much more than that. My body – my leg, and my back – just won't allow me to play much more than that any more.

"That was my goal last year, and I was able to play three of the four. This year hopefully I can play all four. That is going to be my schedule going forward, because of all the limitations I have."

Brooks Koepka became the first multiple winner in LIV Golf's short history after securing a one-stroke victory at LIV Golf Orlando on Sunday with a score of 15 under.

Koepka, a four-time major champion, won his first event on the new tour back in October at LIV Golf Jeddah, and he came into his third and final round in Orlando leading by three strokes after a pair of six-under 66s on Friday and Saturday.

He was bogey-free with four birdies through 14 holes as he tried to close it out, but Sebastian Munoz – who set the LIV Golf single-round scoring record with a nine-under 62 on Friday – was chasing him down.

Koepka's first bogey on the 15th cut his lead to one, but Munoz also bogeyed to briefly give back the two-stroke buffer, before birdieing the 16th to set up a tense finish.

Munoz appeared to throw his chances away when he sailed his bunker shot on 17 well past the green, but he got up-and-down for par to keep it at one shot going onto the last.

Both players found the middle of the green in regulation, and while Munoz gave himself a tap-in par, Koepka left himself a sweaty six-footer for the win, but made no mistake.

For the victory, Koepka took home a $4million winner's cheque, as well as his share of the second-placed team prize as his Smash GC finished one stroke behind Munoz's Torque GC.

Dean Burmester and Patrick Reed were tied for third at 12 under, while Dustin Johnson banked a top-10 with a solo seventh at 10 under.

After briefly climbing up into the top-five at 10 under, Cameron Smith went bogey, bogey, triple-bogey to fall back five shots.

Patrick Rodgers struggled to match his first two rounds at the Valero Texas Open but nevertheless held his nerve to take a one-stoke lead at 12 under into the final day.

The 30-year-old had led overnight after play was halted early on Friday, following an impressive five-under 67 to back up an opening round of six-under 66.

But after carding a more sedate one-under 71 at TPC San Antonio, the American was left with just a single-stroke lead ahead of Canada's Corey Conners, who held on to second place with a three-under 69.

Veteran Matt Kuchar had looked set to challenge for top spot before a double bogey on the 18th derailed his pursuit, though he still finished in a respectable third, three shots off at nine-under for the tournament.

American duo Sam Stevens and Chris Kirk are tied for fourth at eight under, while South Korea's An Byeong-hun and Ireland's Padraig Harrington are among those in a six-way tie for sixth.

Rodgers is chasing a first win on the PGA Tour, having arrived in Texas with six missed cuts from his past eight starts, though he did secure a top-15 finish at the Phoenix Open.

At the conclusion of Friday's play at the Valero Texas Open it was Patrick Rodgers leading the field by three strokes, although many are yet to complete their second round.

Rodgers, 30, has never won on the PGA Tour, and has had an up-and-down season up until this point. While he has two top-10s, and a top-15 at the Phoenix Open, he also came into this event with six missed cuts from his past eight starts.

His six-under 66 was one of the best scores from the opening round, and he followed it with a five-under 67 after birdieing five of his last six holes to race out to a healthy lead.

In a tie for second is Canada's Corey Conners, who would be disappointed to shoot even par after his eight-under start. Joining him at eight under is Mexico's Roberto Diaz, who will have his sights set even higher as he was only through 10 holes in his second round before darkness halted play.

American duo Michael Thompson and Brendon Todd (through 15) are at seven under in a tie for fourth, while Belgium's Thomas Detry is joined by veteran Matt Kuchar and rising talent Eric Cole at six under.

Recent winner of The Honda Classic, Chris Kirk, is part of the logjam at five under rounding out the top 10, and Rickie Fowler has finished right on the projected cut-line at one under.

Justin Lower leads the Valero Texas Open through nine holes with play suspended due to darkness as Padraig Harrington and Matt Kuchar joined the group one stroke behind on Thursday.

The opening round was called off early in fading light, with play having been delayed numerous times in the morning due to fog in South Texas.

Lower, 33, got through the first half of his round, managing an eagle on the par-five 14th hole along with three birdies for a five under start.

Three-time major winner Padraig Harrington, 51, wound back the clock in his 333rd start in his 28th season. The Irishman, playing in familiar conditions, carded a four-under 68 with six birdies.

Fellow veteran Matt Kuchar had a similar round with six birdies and two bogeys for a four-under 68 to be tied for second.

The 44-year-old American and Harrington are alongside South Africa's M.J. Daffue, Mexico's Roberto Diaz and USA's Patrick Rodgers.

Fresh from winning last week's Corales Puntacana Championship, Matt Wallace is in a group of eight players, including Canada's Corey Conners (through nine holes), one stroke behind at three under overall.

Pre-tournament favourite Tyrrell Hatton only got through 10 holes to be two under, while Rickie Fowler and defending champion J.J Spaun were both even after 11 holes.

The third staging of the Sandals Foundation Golf and Jerk Festival is expected to bring together over 100 of the island’s best golfers competing for Sandals and Beaches Resorts stays and an extraordinary two Hole-In-One bonus prizes of JMD$2million cash and a 2023 Kia Sportage.

Set for the Sandals Upton Estate Golf and Country Club in St. Ann on Saturday, May 6, 2023, the event, which is a fundraiser for the philanthropic arm, will support the Port Maria Hospital and the continued development of the Care for Kids Junior Golf programme.

“This festival reinforces our mandate to not only create opportunities for our young people to thrive through sports but it also connects them to a larger responsibility to give back to those in need,” says Heidi Clarke, Executive Director at the Sandals Foundation.

“With proceeds this year going towards the purchase of security systems for the Port Maria Hospital, we are making a solid investment in ensuring our medical professionals, staff and patients are in a safe and secure environment.”

The jerk competition will see 12 teams of two compete for a grand prize of $50,000 while the golf tournament will take on a four-person scramble with at least one junior player independently chosen or selected from the foundation’s Care for Kids Junior Golf Programme.

“We are proud of our junior golfers who are learning great discipline through the sport and opening avenues to represent Jamaica on the international arena. We want to provide them and other young golfers a place at the table to showcase their skills and compete with the best of the best,” said Clarke.

Already its organizers have accomplished an extraordinary feat pulling in two Hole-In-One prizes with United States based golf and utilities company, Tropicars offering over JMD$4 million cash with a 50/50 split towards the winner and the charities. The second Hole-In-One comes from ATL Automotive with the stunning 2023 Kia Sportage up for the take.

A host of prestigious local partners has also joined the bill including Best Dressed Chicken, CPJ, Rainforest, Starbucks, Wisynco, and AC Hotels.

Registration for Golf Teams is US$500 with a 10 per cent early bird discount up to April 16. Interested Jerk chefs can register at $10,000 per team.

 For more information, contact Johnny Newnham This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or Natasha Burnett This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Olympics chief Thomas Bach has attacked politicians pushing for Russian and Belarusian athletes to be prevented from returning to international sport, saying their attitude is "deplorable".

International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Bach launched a tirade on Thursday at the "negative reactions" to plans to allow competitors from Russia and Belarus to compete in global sporting events as neutral individual athletes.

There has been no final decision taken yet on whether those athletes can take part in next year's Olympics; however, there will be potential pathways for them to qualify for the Games, and it could yet mean there are Russians and Belarusians taking part in the Paris Games while war continues in Ukraine.

Government figures in the UK, Germany and beyond have expressed opposition to such athletes being allowed to take part, although IOC guidance on Tuesday potentially opened that door.

For those politicians there was a fierce rebuke from Bach.

Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, Bach said: "Today the IOC executive board discussed the reactions to our recommendations issued on Tuesday.

"There we have taken note of some negative reactions by some European governments in particular. I can only reaffirm there what the Olympic movement and all the stakeholders have made very clear before: that it is deplorable to see some governments do not want to respect the majority within the Olympic movement and of all stakeholders, nor the autonomy of sport which they are praising and requesting from other countries in countless speeches, UN resolutions, EU declarations, and at every other opportunity.

"It is deplorable that these governments do not address the question of double standards with which we have been confronted in our consultations.

"We have not seen a single comment from them about their attitude towards the participation of athletes whose countries are involved in the other 70 wars and armed conflicts in the world.

"It is even more deplorable that they grossly neglect the very clear statement of the two special rapporteurs from the UN human rights council. While in other issues they are always highlighting their firm request for the respect of human rights

"Discussions and reactions from the Olympic movement are making it very clear, that these government interventions have strengthened the unity of the Olympic movement.

"All stakeholders make it very clear again: it cannot be up to the governments to decide which athletes can participate in which competition. This would be the end of world sport as we know it today.

"The Olympic movement stakeholders are very concerned about this politicisation of sport. They are very concerned about the attitude of these governments wanting to take over the participation and the decision of participation in sport events in their country or even in other countries."

Bach pointed to a letter from the presidents of the five regional groupings on national Olympic committees, representing all 206 NOCs, in which he said it was stated that "international sports competitions welcome athletes from all countries".

Asked why it was only athletes from Russia and Belarus that were being asked to compete as neutrals, rather than those from other conflicts and wars to which he referred, Bach said that was "because this was a blatant violation of the Olympic truce and happened between the Olympic Winter Games and the Paralympic Games".

That was a reference to the timing of the beginning of Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

With regard to Germany and the UK, Bach said: "Both NOCs have made it very clear they do not boycott, and we will not punish athletes or an NOC for the position of their governments.

"We will always make every effort not to punish athletes for misbehaviour of their national governments."

Bach, who is German, said "a vast, vast majority of all stakeholders of the Olympic movement" supported the IOC putting in place conditions for the possible return to international competition of athletes with Russian and Belarusian passports.

He added: "I can only reaffirm the entire Olympic movement strongly stands by its values and by its mission to unite the world in a peaceful competition."

Former Masters champions Bubba Watson and Patrick Reed do not expect any issues when LIV Golf International Series and PGA Tour players meet at the famous Augusta major.

Watson and Reed are among 17 LIV Golf stars set to feature at The Masters, with six of those rebel golfers automatically qualifying with a lifetime exemption after winning the tournament.

Cameron Smith, Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau are also part of the breakaway league but able to play due to winning a major in the last five years.

Major competitions are the only place the two sets of golfers can feature after the PGA banned those who joined the Saudi-backed rebel series for record purses and 54-hole events.

But Reed, speaking ahead of the LIV Golf League event at Orlando that starts on Friday, does not foresee any animosity when the two groups tee off at the Augusta National Golf Course on April 6.

"It's one of those things, the media and the storylines are going to be obviously LIV versus PGA Tour and all that kind of stuff," 2018 Masters champion Reed said.

"But really the majors, that's all the guys that come in, top players in the world are going and playing against each other, no matter where they come from.

"It doesn't matter what tour they're on or anything; it's the top guys going and trying to play for one of the most coveted events in the world.

"For us, at least for myself, it's going to be business as usual going out and playing. Would I like to have LIV be up at the top? Of course.

"But really at the end of the day, it's all of us going in there and just trying to play the best golf we can and be ready for the four biggest weeks of the year."

Watson, a two-time Masters victor, echoed Reed's sentiment as the American reiterated the only issues between players are coming from media speculation.

"It's only awkward in the media," Watson said. "I've talked to people that are going to be there. I'm going to sign up with Jason Day and Cam Young in the par-three and some guys have already asked me to play some practice rounds.

"The media is the only one that is pushing it. I have nothing against anybody. If you change jobs, I'm not mad at you."

Koepka was another big-name superstar LIV managed to secure from the PGA and the four-time major winner says it would be a "big statement" for whoever wins in Georgia, regardless of allegiances.

"Anytime you win the Masters, it's going to be a big boost off the golf course for you," Koepka said. "I don't care who you are. Look at anybody that's won it, I guarantee they would say the same thing.

"I can't speak for what would happen because I don't know the future, but I'm assuming that would be a massive, massive boost for any team, player, individual, whatever, it doesn't matter what it is, it's going to be a big boost.

"Anytime you win The Masters or The Open, that's usually a pretty big statement."