Tiger Woods has pulled out of The Masters because of injury.
Woods, five-time winner, struggled to keep his head above water in the relentless rain and cold conditions of Saturday’s opening major.
He made his second start in 2023 and battled to finish a second round 74 on Saturday morning. This saw him fall back to the last of 54 players who qualified for the final 36 holes.
He had previously achieved a record-breaking 23rd consecutive half-way cut.
The 15-time major champion made it through the cut on three over despite bogeying his last two holes.
After a terrible start to his third round, he fell further behind.
Woods – starting on the back nine, he looked in pain as he made two double-bogeys and one bogey over the first seven holes. This left the former world No. 1 on nine and pushed him down to the bottom of the leaderboard.
The 47-year old, who has played 72 holes only twice since suffering career-threatening leg injuries in an automobile accident in February 2021, decided against returning to what would have been a long Sunday for him.
Woods posted on Twitter, “I am disappointed that I have to WD today due to reaggravating plantar fasciitis.”
“Thank you to The Masters and the fans, who have shown me so many love and support. Best of luck to today’s players!
Woods had left 11 holes in his third round to complete.
He would have likely been one of the first to play in the final round. Tournament organizers will be playing in pairs from a two-tee starting.
Officials from the tournament released a brief statement on Sunday saying that Tiger Woods had officially withdrawn from The Masters due to injury after playing seven holes in his third round.
Withdrawal: It’s ‘terribly disappointing to see’
Jamie Weir wrote this article for Sky Sports News “He finished seven holes of his third-round but we saw those terrible images of him struggling with walking.
“It was bitterly cold yesterday, it’s still cold on Sunday, and clearly Tiger’s body has shut down and given up.
“It was an amazing achievement to make it, it just shows how fiercely competitive he is.
“For Tiger to get up at such a time and to get ready for a round golf, it takes hours of physio. His body couldn’t handle this.”
More Sky News:
Masters viewers describe a lucky escape from trees that were blown over
He said, “It’s very sad to see – it makes you wonder if we will see him again at The Masters.
“He admitted earlier this week that he often wonders if it will be the last time he goes out on the course.
“Knowing Tiger Woods and knowing how fierce a competitor he is, he doesn’t want to just be a ceremonial presence at major championships. He only wants to participate if he believes that he can.”
reply
retweet
favourite
