The Local Knowlege

Tim Clark may jump into Masters cold

AUGUSTA, Ga. -- Tim Clark shouldn't be at the Masters. Or at least he wouldn't be at the Masters if it wasn't, well, the Masters. Prior to Tuesday, the 36-year-old Clark hadn't hit a ball in three months. When he extended his right hand to greet someone on the practice green on Wednesday, the South African was quick to recoil in discomfort.

clark_470.jpgClark hasn't played a tournament since the Sony Open in January. Photo by Getty Images

All of this suggests that Clark isn't quite ready to return from a right elbow injury that has had him inactive since the second tournament of the season, especially when considering his wife, Candace, gave birth to the couple's first child on Friday.

And yet, as Clark figured, this isn't any other week. If he withdrew from the Masters, it's not like someone would slip into his spot, so he figured he might as well wait until the last minute to see if he could play.

"I'm not going to be 100 percent, but if you're going to play hurt somewhere, you do it here," said Clark, who is coming off a 2010 season in which he had a breakthrough win at the Players.

So Clark's plan is to at least see how he feels on Thursday morning, when he's scheduled to tee off at 8:51 alongside Vijay Singh and Aaron Baddeley. After hitting balls on Tuesday, he played in the Par 3 Contest on Wednesday, and hasn't been deterred.

"The key is how I feel later. It's a little stiff, but it's not painful," Clark said. "There's a chance I could play."

-- Sam Weinman

The latest on golf digest

Photos: The Most Iconic Poses In Golf
#mygolfpose
Tweet your reenactment of one of these classic images.
Golf Equipment: What's In My Bag: Michael Thompson
What's In My Bag
Michael Thompson
Nine-Hole-Friendly Golf Courses
Rankings
Nine-Hole-Friendly Courses
Swing Sequence: Phil Mickelson
Swing Sequences
Phil Mickelson
. Close

Thank you for signing up for the newsletter.

You will receive your first newsletter soon.
Subscribe to Golf World
Subscribe today
Golf Equipment: 3Balls.com - New and used golf equipment

Sign-up for Golf Digest's Above The Cut