Golf legend Tiger Woods shot a 6-over spherical of 78 on Sunday at Augusta to complete far down the leaderboard and cap a weekend when numbers hardly mattered to followers.
He completed at 13 over for the week, his complete of 301 by far his worst at the Masters and one shot off his worst 72-hole rating ever as knowledgeable.
The Forty seventh-place end belied the thunderous applause Woods obtained as he walked up the 18th fairway. Woods, in a pink shirt synonymous with final-round prices, eliminated his cap and acknowledged roars from Augusta National patrons.
“Thankful, as I alluded to. I keep saying it, but I am. I really am. I truly am. Just to get to this point,” Woods instructed reporters after Sunday’s remaining spherical.
“Just to be able to play, and not only just to play, but I put up a good first round. I got myself there. I don’t quite have the endurance that I would like to have had, but as of a few weeks ago, didn’t even know if I was going to play in this event.”
This was Woods’ comeback match that got here simply over a yr after the automobile crash that just about price him his proper leg, or worse. He stated coming into the Masters that simply getting again was an accomplishment.
Woods was limping all through his remaining spherical, and the limp appeared a lot worse Sunday than it was earlier within the Masters.
Just making the reduce and getting by 4 days on essentially the most famed course in America was its personal victory for Woods.
Asked if this weekend’s play marked certainly one of his best achievements, Woods stated: “For not winning an event, yes. Yes, without a doubt.”
“To go from where I was to get to this point, I’ve had an incredible team that has helped me get to this point,” he added.
The 15-time main champion’s mere presence at Augusta National Golf Club was a lift for the game which has been searching for its subsequent attention-grabbing, crossover hit to fill the star void — left by Woods, himself.
He final performed a aggressive, particular person spherical of golf at the 2020 Masters, held in November that yr as a substitute of its regular spring tee off as a result of Covid-19 pandemic.
The 46-year-old Woods did swing a membership in December at the PNC Championship, a 36-hole father-son competitors in Florida the place he and 13-year-old Charlie Woods completed second to the staff of John Daly and John Daly II.
Woods taking part in in a significant occasion just like the Masters appeared like an inconceivable activity final yr, after a Feb. 23 wipe out on the Palos Verdes Peninsula in Los Angeles County.
That’s when he rolled a Genesis GV80 close to Hawthorne Boulevard at Blackhorse Road, on the border of Rolling Hills Estates and Rancho Palos Verdes, officers stated.
No one else was damage aside from Woods, who suffered important accidents to each legs.
There have been no indicators of impairment, L.A. County Sheriff’s deputies at the scene stated, although a blood check was by no means taken.
He was driving greater than 80 mph, practically double the posted 45 mph pace restrict, officers stated. Woods was nonetheless going 75 mph when he hit the tree because the SUV went airborne.
Although the SUV’s entrance finish was virtually completely smashed aside, a lot of the motive force’s compartment remained intact and Woods was carrying a seat belt.
A deputy at the time stated it was “very fortunate that Mr. Woods was able to come out of this alive.”
The explanation for the crash was deemed to be brought on by “driving at a pace unsafe for the highway situations and the lack to barter the curve of the roadway” and no charges were filed.
Woods has acknowledged that he’ll never play full-time on the PGA Tour again.
His 82 tournament titles is tied for most in PGA Tour history, with Sam Snead. Throughout much of storied career, it was considered slam dunk that Woods would someday overtake Jack Nicklaus’ record of 18 major titles.
But in recent years, age, injuries and off-the-course issues have slowed Woods, whose name is usually mentioned top of any sentences — along with Nicklaus and Ben Hogan — debating who is the sport’s greatest player.
His storied profession has drawn comparisons to Jackie Robinson, who broke MLB’s color barrier, and fueled hopes that golf can attract a more diverse player pool.
Andrew Blankstein contributed.