About 50 hours after arriving on Augusta National’s first T-shirt on a wave of cheers from a crowd of thousands, Woods played as follows: a man still recovering from a wrecked car, a man with enough metal in his hands. body to activate the TSA sensors, a human being held together by adhesive tape and willpower. Woods scored 78 a day, his worst performance ever at the Masters, and the lap did not even look that nice. He found it difficult to place his approach plans anywhere near the flag, and struggled to throw any blow. He used the sticks as improvised sticks and when he left the room to fulfill his duties in the media, he obviously limped so badly that even climbing the pedestal of a step was dangerous. “It was difficult,” Woods said after his tour. “Conditions were difficult today … It was just awful all day. You add the temperature difference, it was cold in the beginning. The ball did not go very far.” After traversing another round of ups and downs – three birds, three bobbles, a double – through the first 15 holes, Woods disbanded in front of the club. He made 16 and 17 and doubled 18, coming out of the final green as if he was losing pieces. He made three holes and four holes and a fifth, unable to understand how the greens were going on Saturday. “I could not feel comfortable with the ball. “Attitude, feeling, my right hand, my release, I just could not find it,” Woods said. “Even with all the beams I had, you would have thought I would have figured it out somewhere on the line, but it just didn’t happen.” In a big frame, Woods did not play terribly. The 78-year-old equaled two-time Masters winner Bubba Watson, one shot better than FedEx Cup champion Patrick Cantlay, two hits better than Masters champion Adam Scott, just one shot worse than reigning US Open champion Jon Rahm. The story goes on There is nothing left for Woods to play but pride at this point. left the course 18 strokes behind leader Scottie Scheffler. He has absolutely nothing to prove to anyone but himself. this week was already a success far beyond what one would realistically expect. Woods’s career as an elite professional is not over, although he is moving much slower these days. “I fight every day,” Woods said. “Every day is a challenge. Ω I wake up and start the fight again from the beginning “. AUGUST, GEORGIA – APRIL 09: Tiger Woods reacts to his shot in the 11th hole during the third round of the Masters at the Augusta National Golf Club on April 9, 2022 in Augusta, Georgia. (Photo by Gregory Shamus / Getty Images)
Jay Busbee is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Follow him on Twitter at @jaybusbee or contact him at [email protected]o.com.
