Former world number one Tiger Woods believes he can defy the odds and make a winning return at the Masters this week.

The 39-year-old has not played competitively since withdrawing from the Farmers Insurance Open at the start of February which can on the back of a career-worst score of 82 at the Phoenix Open.

Woods then decided to take time away from the spotlight to try to overcome a back problem but will make his comeback at Augusta as he looks to add to his four Green Jackets, the last of which he secured a decade ago.

The 14-time major winner, who is 51.00 to win the Masters this year, played a practise round at the Georgia course on Monday and then declared he is ready to get started on Thursday.

Woods said: “I felt like I had to get my game into a spot where I could compete to win a golf tournament. And it’s finally there.

“I felt good. It was nice to get out here. Chipping is fine. I wanted to test out some wedges out here.

That was why I was chipping a little bit more. It came down to a couple of different bounce settings because it’s different from Florida. We figured the right one out.”

Woods is currently the world number 111 but a good showing at the Masters could be just the start he needs to begin climbing the rankings again.

Current world number one Rory McIlroy is the 7.00 favourite to win the Masters as he looks to complete the career grand slam at the age of 25.