Palm Harbor, Florida ….

Tiger Woods is getting excited ahead of his 21st Masters appearance revealing he is planning to play practice rounds in coming weeks at Augusta National.

Woods indicated he will travel to the Georgia golfing gem in the fortnight following next week’s Arnold Palmer Invitational to refamiliarize himself with the course he has not walked since sharing 17th place in the 2015 Masters.

Tiger Woods talks of his fondness in returning to Augusta National for what will be in 2018 his 21st Masters appearance. (Photo – www.gollfbytourmiss.com)

Woods had made his maiden Masters appearance as a then amateur in the 1995 Masters ahead of winning in 1997, 2000, 2001 and then being fitted with a fourth green jacket in 2005 but then he’s not been on the first tee for three years.

“I haven’t played the course in a couple of years now, so I would like to get up there to Augusta and take a look at it, and while there is no changes to the course as far as design they have resurfaced some greens and see if those breaks match my book,” he said.

“I also need to get used to playing on Bent grass as I haven’t played on Bent for literally years so that is going to be a little bit different.”

Woods has played only 10 rounds of PGA Tour competition this year and that prompted the 14-time Major winner being asked ahead of a first appearance in this week’s Valspar Championship at the Innisbrook Resort near Tampa in Florida if his comeback to full-time competition was going according to plan or if he felt he was behind schedule.

“I think I’ve come around very quickly,” he said.

“I’ve only played ten rounds. So, I know people are saying that I’ve been, you know, erratic, little inconsistent but ten rounds, it’s not that many. I looked up some of my stats last night, I wanted to see how I ranked. I’m not even on the rankings. I haven’t played enough rounds. Okay. That’s basically how my comeback has been so far this year. I haven’t played a lot.”

And when asked what he was looking to gain this week, and in what will be a second last event before the Masters, Woods remarked:  “Keep progressing. Making small changes, small tweaks. I was able to do it the last tournament I played in and hopefully I can make up a few small tweaks this week.”

Woods this week joins Rory McIlroy in their first appearance in this week’s $US 6.5m Valspar Championship at the Innisbrook course to the north of Tampa in Florida.

Woods is grouped for the opening rounds alongside fellow Open Champions Jordan Spieth, and winner of the 2015 Valspar, along with Henrik Stenson.

And Stenson, who has contested the past three Valspar Championship’s including sharing a best of fourth in 2015, is delighted to be grouped with Woods.

“I played with him in the Bahamas, the second competitive round coming back last December and I did get a good look at him there and I thought he looked very promising and so if he continues to work away and play some — and, yeah, it’s always fun to play with Tiger and Jordan,” said Stenson.

“But I thought I would start off the week easy and see if I can find some decent playing partners for the weekend, you know (smiling).

“I’m sure it would be nice and quiet out there for the first couple of days. Yeah, I mean embracing it. You can just — I got to go out there and play my golf and my game and don’t get caught up in everything that potentially that goes on outside the ropes.

“You know, it just puts that extra bit of focus in, into my game and trying to beat both of them.”