Tiger Woods’ painful Masters walk-off score of 74

Augusta, Ga. (AP) – Tiger Woods was determined to steam through Augusta National, confidently plucking the ball off the tee on Thursday’s opening shot without even landing the ball.

The rest His day at the Masters It was mostly brutal.

There were two evil lips on the front. A pitch shot is thrown into the back greenside bunker. Some bad luck on the 18th, which left him in a painfully awkward position. And on each hole, a clear scab – evidence of the accident that happened two years ago in the suburbs of Los Angeles. Broken bones in his right leg and ankle.

When Woods struggled through the finishing hole, failing to get off another tee, he had shot a 74 — good enough to stay in contention for the weekend, but not enough to actually compete. As a professional, he has never lost his chops at the Masters.

“Most men today are going low. This was a day to work,” Woods said. “Tomorrow I’m a little better, a little sharper, and hopefully I’ll be able to inch that way.

Or at least shiver in it.

It was Woods’ worst opening round at the Masters since 2005, when he carded a 74 with 65-66-71 to capture his fourth of five green jackets. Recent history suggests that duplicating that return will be tough, though: He shot 78-78 last year on the weekend, and now has a combined 16. The last four rounds at Augusta National.

The four-round streak is Woods’ longest streak since he first drove Magnolia Lane in 1995.

“Today was an opportune time to compete against the rankings,” he said, “and I didn’t.”

The five-time champion had the best view of golfers.

Victor Hovland used his second eagle to push him to an opening 65 and Xander Schauffele shot a 68 to dominate the scoreboard on a day in red numbers.

In the year “It’s great to be around him,” said Hovland, the underdog at the 2019 Masters, as Woods won his latest green jacket. “He has had a huge impact on the game of golf and has watched it for hours on end. And it was very special to play with him for the first time today, especially to play this round so well.

Woods was ahead of Hovland and Shuffle at first and was cruising to third, when he caught a pitch shot on the club face and left it short of the green. Woods ran his next chip past the hole, missed a slippery downhill putt and came away with his first bogey of the day.

Then the lip out: a rough one on the fifth, the same hole where Woods started using his driver as a walking stick, and another on the seventh, looking for him 3 over and some positive vibes.

They came up just short with a birdie on the eighth, then dissipated when Woods dropped the green on the par 11 and made bogey. He seems to be gaining momentum again Long birdie on the 15th and presentation He stuck closely for a birdie on the 16thtoo close to the fairway bunker to see a near-perfect drive on the 18th.

Woods tried several stances before planting his left foot in the grass. He missed the line and sent it into the greenside bunker, lost his balance and hopped with his left foot.

“It’s good to hop on the left foot. If I did it on the other one, it’s not good,” he said.

Woods then dashes out of the locker room, misses the par, and begins his disjointed walk to the clubhouse to sign his card.

“I didn’t give myself a good look,” he said. “We have to do better than this.”

Sure, the round wasn’t much of the Vineyard Woods, but the feel of the Augusta National area was unmistakably familiar.

The patrons lined up four, five and sometimes six deep for a chance to see him, then hurried forward – running strictly forbidden – to get a prime spot to see him again. They politely applauded him as he entered, roaring for the three birds as in the old days, and waved him in admiration when the round was over.

At one point, after waiting an hour for Woods to pass and watching him play an approach shot from the fairway in front of them, a man turned to his friend and said, “Okay, we can go home now.”

Barring a few more birdies and a few mistakes, Woods will soon be there.

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