Tiger Woods endured an extremely difficult moving day at Augusta National on Saturday, after the five-time Masters champion carded a 10-over-par 82 in his third round.
Tiger Woods has acknowledged that his golf performance is not at its best, following his record-breaking 18-hole score at a major championship during the third round of the Masters on Sunday.
On Friday, Woods achieved a historic milestone at the Masters by making his 24th consecutive cut, setting a new record. However, within just 24 hours, the five-time major champion experienced a setback of his own. He ended up delivering the worst performance of his major career.
Beginning the day at one-over-par for the tournament, the 82-time PGA Tour winner’s front nine on Saturday was quite eventful. It started with three pars, but then he encountered three bogeys, two double bogeys, and managed to salvage a birdie from his next six holes.
The latter half of the course presented a similar pattern, with the exception of a birdie on the 13th hole. However, the scorecard was marred by five additional bogeys, resulting in a disappointing finish with a 10-over 82. Woods’ struggles have been extensively documented in recent years, as he has faced ongoing physical challenges following a serious car accident in 2021 that jeopardized his career.
Consequently, the 15-time major champion is participating in only his second tournament of the season and his eighth PGA Tour event in the past two years, since his initial return at the 2022 Masters. It is unsurprising that Woods is far from his exceptional form due to his limited playing time, and he acknowledged this fact after the round on Saturday.
He shared with Sky Sports, “I’ve realized my skills need some work. I don’t get to play often, especially in a competitive setting. That’s something you can’t replicate at home. The challenges of the course, the tricky shots – the golf course was tough, at least for me.” Woods had displayed flashes of his former self on the first two days to secure his spot for the weekend.
During previous tournaments, Woods had been visibly struggling with pain, often limping as he walked. However, the limp was less noticeable on Thursday and Friday. Unfortunately, Saturday’s round proved to be much more demanding for the 48-year-old.
The American golfer has shown significant improvement this season, completing 18 holes more than the previous year. Despite having to withdraw from the first major tournament of 2023 due to an ankle injury, which has since been resolved through surgery, Woods continues to face challenges with injuries in other areas of his body.
“The ankle is no longer a problem,” he mentioned before the tournament, emphasizing that it has been stabilized. However, he acknowledged that other parts of his body are now bearing the brunt of the issue. Woods admitted with a smile that he experiences discomfort on a daily basis, preferring warm and humid weather. He expressed optimism about the upcoming weather conditions, anticipating hot temperatures and thunderstorms, unlike the previous year.
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