Butch Harmon has revealed why he wanted Tiger to miss the cut at the 2023 Masters.
Harmon, the renowned former coach of Tiger Woods, has disclosed his desire for Woods to intentionally miss the cut at The Masters in 2023, all for the betterment of his career.
During a press conference leading up to The Masters, Harmon disclosed his desire for Woods to not qualify for the tournament in 2023. Harmon expressed doubt in the ability of the 15-time major champion to endure an additional 36 holes of play.
Harmon’s worst nightmares became reality when, following seven holes of the third round, Woods had to pull out because he worsened a preexisting ankle injury.
Since stepping back last year, Woods has finished just five rounds of tournament golf, four at the Hero World Challenge in Albany and one at the Genesis Invitational earlier this year.
Following additional surgery on his ankle post the 2023 Masters, Woods stated that he was free of pain. However, he had to withdraw from the Genesis Invitational once again due to the flu.
Sitting down for a discussion with Harmon, we inquired about Woods’ prospects for the upcoming week. Harmon expressed his belief that it might not be the golf itself, but rather the physical act of walking that could hinder his ability to compete.
He said:
“I think we can expect Tiger’s game to be pretty sharp; he wouldn’t play if he didn’t think he was. The problem is, can he walk? That’s one of the hardest walking golf courses that we play all year long. It’s very hilly, a lot of side hill lies and uneven lies. If you remember our telecast last year, when he made the cut, I actually said on air on Sky that as much as we love having Tiger in the field, I really wish he hadn’t made the cut because I didn’t think he could walk another 18 holes, and it turned out he couldn’t.”
Despite the limited playing time, extensive list of injuries, and challenging course conditions, Harmon hesitated to dismiss Woods from contention.
He added:
“Now we all know with Tiger never say never, and I can remember back in 2019, we had one of these (interviews), and everyone asked me if Tiger Woods could ever win the masters, and I said I doubted it because he hadn’t played, but all you’ve gotta do is tell him he can’t do something and he will try and prove you wrong, that’s his mentality, that’s one of the reasons he was the best in the world.”
With 11 years of coaching Woods during his most successful era, where he secured eight majors and triumphed in 34 PGA Tour events, Harmon possesses an unparalleled understanding of his game. Apart from his distinctive walking style, Harmon also raised concerns about Woods’ short game, particularly on the challenging greens at Augusta National.
Harmon told the media:
“It will be very interesting to see in the practice rounds how he walks, how he handles the hills and just watching how he handles that. I would say, knowing him, his game will be okay from tee to green. I don’t know how his nerves are going to be with the short game even though he has one of the best short games in the world, but having not been in competition at all, it’s difficult.
“You can’t turn it on and off. It always has to be on. But I think the big question is, physically, could he possibly walk 72 holes or more when you consider practice rounds at Augusta National? We won’t know that until we see him.”
“He knows how to get around Augusta, but the big question is, will his body allow him to become Tiger Woods again?”
Harmon may have doubts, but he’s certain about one thing: Woods is always a contender, and it seems like the bookies agree.
When Woods starts his round at Augusta National, he’ll be aiming for his sixth green jacket. Even though he hasn’t competed much lately, most bookmakers still have him at 90/1 odds to come out on top.
Just to give you some background, Woods has less odds than several other past champions like Sergio Garcia, Adam Scott, and Phil Mickelson.
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