AUGUSTA – After Tiger Woods made a record 24th consecutive cut at the Masters on April 12, the five-time champion engaged in dreamy talk of a sixth Green Jacket.
Reality hit home on April 13, however, in the form of a nightmare third round as the 48-year-old’s injury-battered body appeared to quit on him as he carded a 10-over 82, his worst score at Augusta National.
It marked the first time in 99 rounds that Woods had failed to break 80 at the Masters, his score four strokes higher than his previous worst of 78, set in the third and fourth rounds in 2022.
Entering the event, Woods had played just 24 holes in 2024 and had to play nearly as many on a marathon second day that began with completing the last five holes of his weather-hit opening round, followed immediately by another 18.
That effort simply seemed to be too much for a golfer who struggled for years when dealing with back, knee and ankle injuries and a near fatal car crash in 2021 that almost resulted in the amputation of his right leg.
“It did,” said Woods, when asked if his exertions wore him down physically. “It’s just that I haven’t competed and played much.
“When I had chances to get it flipped around and when I made that putt at five, I promptly three-putted six and flub a chip at seven and just got it going the wrong way.”
Woods started his round with three straight pars before it all began to unravel, dropping six shots over four holes heading into the turn, including back-to-back double-bogeys at Nos. 7 and 8.
Walking with a slight limp heading onto the back nine and into Amen Corner, it looked as if Woods might pull the plug on a round spiralling out of control.
The former world No. 1 was able to put the brakes on the nose dive with pars at Nos. 10 and 11 but the slide did not stop.
Woods soaked up a loud ovation walking onto the tee of Augusta’s signature hole, the par-three 12th, before slumping to another bogey.
The 15-time Major winner would collect just his second birdie of the day at No. 13 but that was followed by four consecutive bogeys before closing out a miserable day with a tap-in for par at the 18th.
But he vowed to return for the final round.
“My team will get me ready,” assured Woods. “It will be a long night and a long warm-up session, but we’ll be ready.”
Meanwhile, the winner of the 88th Masters will pocket US$3.6 million (S$4.9 million) from a record US$20 million purse, Augusta National Golf Club officials announced on April 13.
The winning purse represents the largest first-place prize in the history of the tournament. In 2023, winner Jon Rahm of Spain received US$3.24 million of the US$18 million total.
The runner-up in 2024 will receive US$2.16 million. The third-placed finisher will pocket US$1.36 million, while the fourth- and fifth-placed players will receive US$960,000 and US$800,000 respectively. REUTERS
