Tiger Woods IS set to play at the Masters next week in Augusta

Five-time winner Tiger Woods is set to compete in next week’s Masters after being listed on the pre-tournament interview schedule.

Woods has made it clear that his competitive career will now be limited to a handful of events a year, a legacy of the February 2021 car accident that left the 15-time Grand Slam champion fearing his right leg would be amputated.

The 47-year-old will prioritize the majors and tournaments he has a personal connection to, with his only competitive appearance before arriving at Augusta National at February’s Genesis Invitational, which benefits his foundation.

Woods played just nine rounds in top-level competition in 2022, finishing 47th at the Masters, retiring after a third-round 79 at the US PGA Championship, then missing the cut at 150th. Open Championship at St Andrews.

It will be the first time Woods has faced the media directly since his ex-girlfriend Erica Herman claimed he sexually assaulted her, tricked her into leaving the Florida mansion they shared and sued him for $30 million.

Woods is scheduled to give a news conference next week as part of the buildup to the event.

Herman, 39, made the startling allegation in a lawsuit seeking to void a confidentiality agreement she says she was forced to sign.

It does not go into detail about what the alleged abuse entails, simply checking the ‘yes’ box under the question ‘Does this case involve allegations of sexual abuse?’

In a separate court filing uncovered by DailyMail.com, Herman is suing Woods for $30 million in “severe” emotional damage, alleging he tricked her into leaving the Florida mansion where they had lived together for six years.

She says in documents filed in October that former world number one Woods convinced her to go on holiday and when she arrived at the airport, her representatives told her she had been locked out.

Herman claims Woods’ representatives took $40,000 of his money and made “libelous and libelous allegations” about how he got the money.

She is demanding more than $30 million for what she says is a “dereliance of duty” that left her suffering “severe” emotional damage.

Ahead of the first Major on the golf calendar next week, Cameron Smith is the only LIV Golf League player on the interview schedule thanks to his victory at St Andrews before joining the Saudi-funded tour.

A group representing the families of victims and survivors of the 9/11 terrorist attacks in the United States had vowed to protest in Augusta due to LIV eligible players including former champions Phil Mickelson, Sergio Garcia and Dustin Johnson, were invited to compete.

However, 9/11 Families United announced Friday that they would instead hold a press conference in Atlanta on Tuesday to discuss what they described as Augusta’s decision to “embrace American golfers who have associated themselves with the Kingdom ( Saudi) over the past year to help ‘wash away’ his appalling record’.

It will be the first time Woods has faced the media since the allegations surrounding his split from Erica Herman.