Tiger Woods, recuperating from back surgeries, will "absolutely" play tournament golf this year, his longtime agent says.
Woods has not played a round of tournament golf since last August. He has his second operation in September had a follow-up procedure a month later to relieve discomfort.
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Woods announced on his website Friday he would not play in the Masters, which begins April 7.
Woods agent Mark Steinberg told ESPN: "I do expect him back on the golf course this year. Absolutely. But there's no timetable."
Woods, a 14-time major winner, has been putting, chipping and hitting short irons as he works his way back into tournament shape.
On his website, Woods noted that he planned to attend Tuesday's champions dinner at Augusta National Golf Club, but said he is "not physically ready" to play in the tournament. Woods is a four-time Masters winner, the most recent in 2005.
This will mark the second time Woods has missed the Masters in the past three years.
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"After assessing the present condition of my back, and consulting with my medical team, I've decided it's prudent to miss this year's Masters," Woods wrote on his website. "I've been hitting balls and training daily, but I'm not physically ready. I've said all along that this time I need to be cautious and do what's best for my long-term health and career.
"Unfortunately, playing Augusta next week wouldn't be the right decision. I'm absolutely making progress, and I'm really happy with how far I've come, but I still have no timetable to return to competitive golf. I'd like to express my disappointment to Billy Payne, the Augusta National membership, staff, volunteers and patrons that I won't be competing."