Tiger Woods is doing everything possible to return for the upcoming Masters at Augusta.
The former top-ranked player hasn't competed since February when he had to withdraw from the Genesis Invitational due to illness.
Reports later suggested that the 48-year-old, who has been troubled by injuries in the latter part of his career and survived a potentially deadly car crash three years ago, would prefer to retire from the sport he once dominated.
The 48-year-old, however, seems determined to compete for what would be a sixth Green Jacket, when the world's best players gather in Georgia next week for the first Major of the season.
According to a close friend, Woods is even stopping himself from having sex in order to save energy and stay focused before his potential comeback.
'He's focused,' the friend told the New York Post. 'He's working really hard in the gym. He's eating right. He's even cut out sex.
'He does that now when he's preparing: no sex until the tournament is over. He doesn't want anything to take away his focus.
'The Masters is Tiger's must-play event every year.
'He's working very hard, spending hours in the gym, practicing, taking care of himself. He wants to play, and he always plays to win.'
Will Tiger Woods Play The Masters
Despite his best efforts, it remains highly doubtful that Woods will make an eagerly-anticipated and repeat the heroics of 2019 when he produced his most unlikely triumph.
Woods flew to Georgia last week where he was able to complete a practice round but he is said to have 'zero mobility' in his ankle according to NBC commentator and former PGA Tour pro Notah Begay III.
'He's trying to formulate a strategy and approach that he can work within given the constraints that he's presented with. And he's got some constraints,' Begay, said on a conference call Wednesday.
'He's got zero mobility in that left ankle and really has low-back challenges now, which he knew he was going to have.'
He added: 'For the past couple months, he's been trying to find a way to recover. He can play the golf. We always knew the question was going to be 'Can he walk the 72 (holes)?' That's still up in the air.
'But can he recover, from one round to the next? That's the biggest question that I really don't know and he's not going to know either until he gets out there and figures out whether the way he's prepared for this year's Masters is going to work for him.'
