Tiger Woods of the U.S. looks at his shot as he walks down the eighth fairway during a practice round for the 2006 Masters at the Augusta National Golf Club yesterday. - REUTERS
AUGUSTA, Georgia (Reuters):
FOUR-TIME champion Tiger Woods is prepared for an emotional United States Masters week as his father continues to battle cancer.
In 1997, American Woods played at Augusta National for the first time as a professional, going on to win the title by a record 12 strokes after his father had helped him with his putting.
The fact that his father Earl came to the course at all that year was a miracle because he was still recovering from heart surgery.
"My dad was actually dead after they had complications in his surgery, but somehow they revived him," world number one Woods told a news conference yesterday as he prepared for today's opening round.
"He wasn't supposed to come here anyways, but somehow he came and gave me a putting lesson and I putted great.
A SPECIAL WEEK
"This has been a very special week for us as a family ever since then."
When Woods secured his fourth green jacket last year, he dedicated the victory to his ailing father who had travelled to Augusta from his home in Cypress, California, but was unable to be at the course.
"That was important for us as a family because my dad couldn't make it out to the golf course, even though he was able to travel," the 30-year-old Woods added. "That's no longer the case."
Earl Woods, 74, has been battling prostate cancer since 1998. The cancer was initially eradicated by radiation therapy but returned in 2004, causing lesions on his back and a tumour behind his left eye.
His son missed the last practice day before the Players Champion-ship in Florida two weeks ago to spend time with his father in California.
At the time, Woods junior said he would consider pulling out of the Masters if his father's condition deteriorated.
Asked yesterday whether that was still a possibility, Woods replied: "I hope not.
"He's fighting. If anyone can fight and grind it out, it would be him. He's as tough as they come."
