'I never wanted the green jacket for this long' - Woods ahead of Masters defence

Woods has not played regularly since the resumption of golf following the COVID-19 outbreak and tentatively returned at The Memorial in July - which marked his first competitive round for five months.

Augusta: Defending Masters champion and 15-time major champion Tiger Woods said on Tuesday that he did not want to have the green jacket for the 19 months which have passed since his 2019 triumph at Augusta.

The Masters was moved to November from its usual April slot due to the global coronavirus pandemic and will be played without fans present at the Augusta National Golf Club from Thursday.

"This has been an unprecedented circumstance we are all dealing with. It has been incredible to have the (Masters green) jacket and to have it around the house and to share it with people. But to have it this long, it is not the way I want to have it. I wanted to earn it back in April, but obviously, we did not have that (due to the coronavirus pandemic). But we have an opportunity to play this week which, earlier in the year, we did not think we would have this opportunity. We are all very fortunate to be able to compete," Tiger said.

Tiger Woods

Woods has not played regularly since the resumption of golf following the COVID-19 outbreak and tentatively returned at The Memorial in July - which marked his first competitive round for five months.

"I have not played a lot, obviously. You mentioned I have only played six events. But it has been gearing up for the major championships and trying to understand what we have to deal with this year with COVID and trying to be safe. And I was hesitant to come back and start playing, and that is why I waited as long as I did and came back at Memorial. From there, I really have not - as I said - I have not put all the pieces together, and hopefully that will be this week," he added.

The 44-year-old said he has yet to "put all the pieces together" and praised the "absolutely incredible" achievements of 2020 US Open champion Bryson DeChambeau and his new, more bulked-up approach to his golf game.