GAINESVILLE, GAINESVILLE, GAINESVILLE, GAINESVILLE, GA Tiger Woods finished his Masters Boot Camp Wednesday morning with another nine holes at Augusta National Golf Club under a bruised sky with mist in the air.
“Everything’s fine, brother,” Woods said as he entered the clubhouse after a round on the back nine and 20 minutes on the practice putting green.
Since the five-time Masters champion began his journey to the 86th Masters, everything has appeared to be in order. Since arriving at Augusta National on Sunday and playing the back nine by himself, he hasn’t had any blunders or misfortunes.
On Monday, he was joined by Fred Couples and Justin Thomas for nine holes on the front nine, and the three teamed up again on Wednesday for a tour that took them from the 10th tee to the 18th green.
He’s played 54 rounds at Augusta National, counting the 27 holes he played last Tuesday — he played the large course and the par-3 course with his son, Charlie, and Thomas. This comes after he completed a 72-hole event by walking and playing 18 holes four days in a row at The Medalist near his Jupiter Island, Florida home.
On the eve of the Masters, Woods started a little after 8 a.m. local time and looked good with his driver in hand, hitting every fairway in regulation. On the par-5 12th, he hit his tee shot into the pond, got home in two on the par-5 13th, and came up just short on the par-5 15th. On 16, he failed to skip his ball across the pond after finding the centre of the green.
So, 508 days after his last official tournament — a tie for 38th place in the November 2020 Masters – Woods will take to the first tee on Thursday with Louis Oosthuizen and Joaquin Niemann for his 10:34 tee time.
When asked to compare Woods’ current state to how he appeared during practice rounds at Augusta National in 2018 and 2019, Couples remarked, “He looks the same same.” “‘Watch this,’ he said as he stood over the ball. And on 13, he drew it around the corner. To me, he appears to be the same person.
“It’s a miraculous phenomenon,” says the narrator. I was crying like a baby every day fourteen months ago. He currently appears to be in good shape. I know his leg hurts, yet he’s still driving with JT. He’s hitting it far enough to be able to complete this course. He’ll figure it out.”
Woods was involved in a single-car collision north of Los Angeles 14 months ago. On February 23, Woods’ luxurious Genesis GV80 SUV was traveling over 80 mph when it collided with a center divider, then a tree, rolling over many times. The SUV was wrecked, and Woods’ right leg and foot were broken.
He rebuilt his leg and then his game after being bedridden for four months.
During his press conference on Tuesday, he expressed his delight that the treatment he was receiving was working. He also stated that if he can complete 72 holes on this steep course with few level places, he will win.
That is something that no couple will argue on.
He said, “Tiger is Tiger.” “He’s ready to fight.” He’s all set to go.”
Woods’ game, according to Thomas, is “enough, plenty good enough to play well.”
“No one else has his work ethic and commitment,” Thomas remarked. “I’ve never seen anything like it in terms of putting your mind to something and demonstrating to yourself and everyone else that you can do it better than him.” He would look at the days, weeks, and months when he couldn’t do anything and had to do the same thing every day as an opportunity to get better, stronger, and 1% better that day.
“He’s been through something similar before. He regrettably knows more than others, yet it’s still amazing what he can accomplish given everything.”
