Woods and the Northern Irishman were all smiles as they headed out to play the back nine on a showery day at Augusta.

The 15-time major winner was also on-site on Sunday, arriving at the practice range around 3pm ET and hit balls for about 30 minutes.

Tiger Woods’s Masters preparation was in full swing after he arrived at Augusta Monday

The 47-year-old is preparing to tee it up for his 25th appearance at the tournament

The icon headed out to the back nine at the Georgia course with Rory McIlroy

He shared a few laughs and a hug with longtime PGA Tour peer Jason Day and shook hands and chatted with Augusta National Chairman Fred Ridley.

Woods then took a familiar stroll around the Azalea-adorned fairways of Augusta, taking with him just a few wedges and his putter.

He walked areas around the greens, spending time chipping and putting in order to get a feel for deft shots in the tricky greens.

It is a method that Woods has used before and has proven effective. He did the same practice the Sunday before the Masters in 2019, walking the first nine holes and carrying just a putter and a few wedges. He went on to claim his fifth Green Jacket.

Bypassing the first tee Sunday, he walked up the slope on the fairway with caddie Joe LaCava, and his friend Rob McNamara, executive vice-president of Tiger Woods Ventures.

Woods has not officially been announced as playing in The Masters this week but was included on the pre-tournament press conference schedule and has not been named on the ‘Past Champions Not Playing’ list, providing a clue.

He last competed on the PGA Tour in February at the Genesis Invitational at Riviera Country Club, where he carded a four-under 67 in the final round, his lowest score in competition since his return from his horrific car crash.

Woods made his miracle return at last year’s Masters, just 14 months on from the single-car crash that left him with significant injuries to his right leg.

The five-time Masters winner spent some time on the range before heading out to the course

The 15-time major winner lines up a putt on the 10th green after McIlroy has hit his

Woods and the Northern Irishman greeted each other on the driving range Monday morning

The duo, who own their business venture, TMRW Sports, together, headed to the course

Woods chatted to 1992 Masters champion Fred Couples (left) on the tenth tee

The duo were joined by Couples and popular, rising star Tom Kim (second right) on the walk

Despite the slopes of Augusta, the five-time Masters winner battled through the pain and stiffness of his leg to remarkably make the cut.

He finished 47th after carding consecutive 6-over 78s on the weekend, which were his worst scores at the Masters.

Despite his sensational return, Woods’s competitive appearances were limited through 2022.

Woods managed just nine rounds in 2022 because of complications around the limb-threatening injuries he sustained in his car crash the previous year.

Before the Genesis Invitational, Woods had not teed it up in a tournament with a cut since The Open last July.

He missed the cut at the 150th Open Championship at the historic Old Course at St. Andrews but had made the weekend at the PGA Championship, before having to withdraw after 54 holes.

He was additionally forced to pull out of the Hero World Challenge in December, citing Plantar Fasciitis but did tee it up alongside son, Charlie, at the PNC Championship later that month, where he was permitted to use a golf cart.

Woods also did not play The Players tournament at TPC Sawgrass last month as speculated in what would have been his second event in preparation of The Masters.

The move was likely tactical with the two-time winner at TPC Sawgrass, sitting out the event in order to prepare for the real prize at Augusta.

Woods had walked the course Sunday with caddie Joe LaCava (right) taking his wedges

He paused his session on the practice ground to greet Augusta National Chairman Fred Ridley

He also shared a few laughs and a hug with longtime PGA Tour peer Jason Day on the range

Following the event at Riviera, Woods reiterated his intent to compete in all four majors this year, if his body allows, but will limit other appearances.

‘I’m not going to play any more than probably the majors and a couple more … that’s it, that’s all my body will allow me to do,’ Woods said at Riviera. ‘My back the way it is, all the surgeries I had on my back, my leg the way it is. I just can’t. That’s just going to be my future.

‘So my intent last year was to play in all four majors, I got three of the four. Hopefully this year I can get all four and maybe sprinkle in a few here and there. But that’s it for the rest of my career. I know that and I understand that. That’s just my reality.’

Woods is slated to make an appearance in front of the media at 11am ET Tuesday