Augusta, GA – For the primary time in 509 days, Tiger Woods is again to play a aggressive spherical of golf within the first spherical of the Masters Match at Augusta Nationwide Golf Membership on Thursday.
Because of a largely sizzling racket, he is within the combine with 1-under 71 after the primary spherical.
Now, the query turns into whether or not Woods’ surgically repaired proper leg will maintain up after 17 months of layoff. It has been greater than 14 months since Woods was badly injured in a automobile wreck outdoors Los Angeles on February 23, 2023.
“The entire thought was to maintain pushing whereas persevering with to get better, and that’s the laborious half each night time — to get better, and I’ve been doing it,” Woods stated. “My crew has been wonderful, and it is gearing up for me. I believe as soon as the adrenaline begins to get energized and enter my little world, I ought to have the ability to deal with the enterprise.”
Here is the perfect and worst from Woods’ opening spherical and what comes subsequent for the five-time Masters winner:
higher
He nonetheless is aware of the place
Woods’ iron play was no exception. His chops and wickets have not been nice, which is a giant cause why he is solely made 9 out of 18 greens, his lowest in a sub-par spherical within the Masters since 2003.
However Woods’ creativity and information of Augusta Nationwide is best than anybody else within the area. He is been up and down seven occasions within the tour, and is tied for probably the most single-round scramble within the Masters since he began ShotLink in 2003, in response to ESPN stats and information.
“I do know the place he hit her [to] “A lot of these pins, and I miss the precise locations and provides myself good angles,” Woods stated. “
It was rolling nicely
Woods’ racket saved him greater than as soon as within the first spherical. He made a 10-foot save to save lots of the par on the primary gap and an 8-footer to save lots of a tie on the ninth. On the 18th gap, after his engine pulled far left, he made 10 toes to save lots of equality.
Woods wanted solely 13 photographs in his first 9 holes and 27 hits within the spherical, which was the seventh-lowest quantity amongst gamers within the first wave.
Ace near go
Woods’ shot got here on day six of Bar 3. He hit the tee, from 180 yards, excessive within the air from a inexperienced spike. The ball landed on the inexperienced, bounced as soon as up the hill, and got here to a cease two toes from the outlet.
0:51
Tiger Woods drops to 1 underneath after a birdie on the sixth gap.
He knocked his sleeve for his first chook of the day. He was his seventeenth flyer on the sixth gap, greater than any Masters participant since 1996.
worst
The values are alleged to be 5 occasions the holes for birds
Woods has been stage at 4 5s. He has been a mixed 43 underneath 5s up to now 5 Masters wins in 1997, 2001, 2002, 2005 and 2019. He has been not less than 6 underneath 5s in all of them.
After ready 10 minutes for the group in entrance of him (which included Bryson DeChambeau) to clear the green, Woods made a large number of the eighth gap by fives. I began nicely. He hit a motor 280 yards down the center after which a pleasant 230-yard shot with fairway wooden, leaving him about 50 yards off the pin.
However Woods’ first chip was lower than the inexperienced and the second ended up 9 toes above the outlet. He missed his shot on the low aspect and ended up with a bogey.
“I’ll begin with disappointment: Simply doing a 50-yard bogey on the eighth,” Woods stated. “Not specializing in the primary; the second, lack of dedication. After which a dead-end shot. So simply three unhealthy photographs in a row.”
In line with knowledge from ESPN Stats & Info, it was Woods’ third consecutive Masters look with not less than one bogey on the eighth gap. He surprised her within the second spherical in 2019 and the third the next 12 months.
The quick sport wants work
Woods did nicely on Thursday, however the remainder of his work across the inexperienced left lots to be desired. On the primary gap, his 30-yard wedge was quick 10 toes. On the following gap, his shot from 45 yards was a brief 17 toes.
On the 14th gap, after a second nice shot of pine straw, Woods’ ball was over the inexperienced. As a substitute of laying it down, strive getting nearer to 4 irons. He went 8 toes behind the outlet. He missed successful again and made a Ghost 5.
“I attempted to hit a 4 iron and put it in there and hit it actually laborious,” Woods stated. “I gave him a little bit juice as a result of he was within the wind. I missed and hit laborious and misinterpret the knockout with only a contact.”
Do not have a good time too early
On the fifth of the identical month, Woods hit an ideal 287 yards down the center of the green. His second shot from 222 yards was simply pretty much as good, leaving him 15 toes for the jumper.
0:44
Tiger Woods did not convert their first flying hit of the day on the fifth gap.
Woods’ shot appeared to be on the road all the way in which, breaking from proper to left into the outlet. He even began to enter her, however she inexplicably backed off on the left aspect. Woods paused and turned away in disgust. Make the most of it on an equal footing.
What’s Subsequent
Regardless of errors within the tee and across the inexperienced, Woods discovered himself in a Masters feud as soon as once more. This was the eleventh time he is shot underneath par within the first spherical at Augusta Nationwide. Within the earlier ten cases, he has completed within the high ten 9 occasions, together with 4 of his 5 wins.
“We have now a protracted method to go,” Woods stated. “This golf course goes to vary drastically—cooler, drier, windier. You’ll be able to hear the subs in there. This golf course goes to vary, and it is getting increasingly troublesome.”
That is precisely how Woods desires circumstances.
First, he must bear hours of remedy and workouts to assist his physique get better. Then he’ll do it once more on Friday.
“A lot of remedies. A lot of ice. A lot of ice baths,” Woods stated. “Simply freezing myself to demise. That is simply a part of the deal. And getting all of the bulge as finest we will and making it cellular and heating it up and activating it and blowing it up the following day. These are two utterly totally different ends of the spectrum.”
“Most sports activities, for those who’re not feeling very nicely, you’ve gotten a teammate to move it on to them and so they can form of take the burden. Or in soccer, sooner or later per week. Right here, we’ve 4 video games in a row days, and nobody else goes to should bear the burden however me. Discover a method to do it.”
