Max Homa Reacts To Tiger Woods' Masters Odds Being Better Than His

With only 36 days until play gets underway at Augusta National, it is prime time for fans, or patrons, to look ahead at the betting odds.

Whether it be the short price Masters favourites or the over-priced longshots, we all take a little interest in how the bookmakers set up their market ahead of the event and it seems like we’re not alone on that front. Max Homa, a three-time winner on the PGA Tour, reacted to one bookmakers' Masters odds and particular those of Tiger Woods.

Seeming somewhat bemused, the Californian said, with a funny GIF attached,: “Tiger still with better odds to win the Masters than me.” Woods is available at +15000 whilst Homa is +16500. 

On face value, that’s not surprising but bare in mind that, aside from semi-competitive appearances at the PNC Championship with son, Charlie, Woods hasn’t played a professional event since the 2020 Masters; which was rescheduled to November as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. That is 472 days, and counting. 

As is the case with Woods, you can never count him out. Two stress fractures and a torn ACL in his left knee couldn’t stop him defeating Rocco Mediate in a Monday playoff at the 2008 US Open, although it would prove to be his last appearance that season. Despite his personal and physical struggles in the years that followed, Woods returned to the summit at the 2019 Masters, becoming the eleventh oldest winner of a Major championship and the second oldest at Augusta National. 

Woods returned to host the 2022 Genesis Invitational and golf fans were encouraged by his range of movement. Speaking to the media however, he continued with his reluctance as to when we will see him in action again. The 15-time Major champion said: “I can still play, but I’m in a cart. Being a weekend warrior is easy, that’s not that hard. Hit your ball, hop in a cart, ride, barely step out of the cart, grab your club and hit the next one. And the longest walk you have is probably from, what, the cart to the green and back. I can do that, that’s not that hard, but walking a golf course, that’s a totally different deal.

"Then walking out here for days on end, long days. Don’t forget when my back was bad, when we had rain delays and had to reactivate everything and go back out there again. I’ve still got that issue, too. I’ve got a long way to go.”

Nevertheless, Woods reiterated comments he made at the Hero World Challenge last November, stating he’d never tour full-time again: “Will I come back? Yes. Will I come back and play a full schedule? No.

"I said that at Albany, that will never happen again. I can play certain events here and there, but on a full-time level, no, that will never happen again. Pick and choose my events, whether they’re Majors or other events, I can do something like that, but come back and playing the Tour, yes, but not on a full-time basis.”

Woods is unlikely to feature in the Masters and now finds himself at 857 in the Official World Golf Ranking. Homa, ranked number 36, will be looking at make his first cut at Augusta National, but will be buoyed after three top-15 finishes already this calendar year. We'd bet Homa probably has a better chance of winning the Green Jacket over Tiger this year.