Tiger Woods is human: wind and fatigue dashed his hopes of 6and coronation at the Augusta Masters, where he made an already miraculous comeback thirteen months after his car accident, Scottie Scheffler clinging to the dream of a first Major title.
The world No.1, who had a five-stroke lead at the start of this third round, had a rocky day. He first brought it to 6, strong with four birdies in the front nine. But it was halved due to three bogeys between N.12 and N.15, while Cameron Smith returned the best card of the day (68). The American totals -9, the Australian -6.
The games are therefore not made for the gain of this 86and Masters, which Tiger Woods will not win, barring a miracle.
The 46-year-old American, winner of 15 Majors, scored 78 (+6). His worst in a lap, in 24 participations in this event, the fatigue becoming stronger and stronger, in windy conditions not helping anything.
“It was tough. Today was a challenge because the conditions were difficult. They were already yesterday at the start, but at least we had a bit of a break at the end. Today, the wind blew all day, ”he reacted.
Totaling +7 after 54 holes, he unscrewed at the 41and place in a small group which also includes the Spaniard Jon Rahm (N.2 in the world).
Like the day before, Woods conceded an entry bogey, but immediately recovered with a birdie on the N.2, by making a superb exit from the bunker which almost made an eagle.
He then committed his first double-bogey of the tournament at N.5, betrayed by a deficient putt.
“No feeling”
“I must have hit about a thousand today,” Woods railed. “I did what I had to do in terms of hitting, but I did absolutely the opposite on the greens. I just had no feeling. I couldn’t feel comfortable with the ball. The posture, the touch, my right hand, my release, I just couldn’t do it. »
Tiger bogey again at N.9 then at N.11, the first segment of the Amen Corner, where the Masters are often won and lost. But he roared with pride, with two consecutive birdies at N.12 and N.13, which complete the most difficult triptych of the course.
A fleeting thinning, because Woods then chained two more bogeys on the 16th and 17th holes, before collapsing on the last with another double-bogey.
If his golf and his physique were in pain, he nevertheless knew how to hang on and go the distance. Which is quite a victory in itself.
Because he had narrowly avoided the amputation of his right leg, after his exit from the road on February 23, 2021 near Los Angeles, for the multiple open fractures which finally required him to insert a metal rod in the tibia, and screws to strengthen the bones of the foot and ankle.
Woods had been hospitalized for weeks and unable to walk for months. But, his body already bruised by countless injuries, he once again managed to get up, to achieve a return that no one expected so quickly in Augusta, after 17 months without playing (his last tournament was the 2020 edition). of the Masters).
To meet his main challenge of getting to the end of the tournament, Tiger undergoes a daily treatment of ice baths and physiotherapy after each round, to reduce the swelling in his leg.