AUGUSTA, Ga. — Tiger Woods survived the swirling winds of Augusta Nationwide Golf Membership on Thursday, however the five-time Masters champion’s greatest check might be coming Friday.
After inclement climate delayed the beginning of the 88th Masters, Woods was in a position to full 13 holes at 1 underneath earlier than play was suspended at 7:51 p.m. ET due to darkness. The 15-time main champion, who hasn’t accomplished an official PGA Tour occasion since he returned from ankle surgical procedure in April 2023, must play 23 holes Friday.
Woods, 48, will play the ultimate 5 holes of the primary spherical when it resumes at 7:50 a.m. The second spherical is scheduled to start at 8. Woods, Jason Day and Max Homa are slated to tee off at 10:18.
Woods stated he hopes he will not have to attend lengthy between rounds.
“Nicely, it was good to complete up 13,” he stated. “We will heat up and simply form of head down there and begin our spherical. I believe the stream could be just about nearly like between 20 and half-hour in between rounds, so it will be a pure stream from the end of the primary spherical and continuation of the second.”
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Over the previous couple of years, Woods has talked typically concerning the bodily remedy, massages and ice baths which are required earlier than and after rounds to get him able to compete.
Via 13 holes, Woods walked significantly better than he did on the 2023 Masters, when he was compelled to withdraw earlier than the weather-delayed third spherical resumed due to plantar fasciitis in his proper foot. He had ankle surgical procedure 10 days later.
“The physique is OK,” Woods stated Thursday. “We have some work to do but tonight.”
All in all, it was a great day for Woods, who had performed solely 24 holes in a PGA Tour occasion earlier than the Masters. He was compelled to withdraw throughout the second spherical of the Genesis Invitational in mid-February due to the flu.
Woods had a birdie on No. 1 — his first on the opening gap within the opening spherical at Augusta Nationwide since 1999 — and added another on the par-5 eighth gap to face at 6 strokes behind chief Bryson DeChambeau, who carded a 7-under 65.
“The wind was all over,” Woods stated. “It was one of the vital tough days that I’ve ever been part of. It was arduous to get a [bead] not solely on what route it was going, however the depth, and it stored switching all over, after which the timing was affecting putts on the greens. It was a really troublesome day.”
Woods had loads of distance off the tee with six photographs of 300 yards or longer, together with a 334-yard drive on the par-4 third gap.
After his opening birdie, Woods pulled his tee shot into the timber down the left aspect of the No. 2 fairway. His ball settled on the base of a tree with low branches. The one factor Woods may do was pitch his second shot left-handed — he punched his ball about 60 yards again into the golf green. Woods’ third shot missed the inexperienced, however he was in a position to chip to about 5 toes. He made the putt to avoid wasting par.
Woods carded his solely bogey on the par-3 fourth gap. He hit his tee shot over the inexperienced after which chipped the ball 22 yards previous the outlet. He wanted two putts from there to drop again to even par.
Woods’ second birdie on the par-5 eighth got here after he hit a 324-yard drive over a fairway bunker down the suitable aspect. Left with 242 yards to the pin, he blistered a 3-iron shot to 41 toes. He missed the lengthy eagle putt and made birdie to get again to 1 underneath.
Given how little aggressive golf Woods has performed over the previous three years since he was severely injured in a automobile wreck exterior Los Angeles in February 2021, his work across the greens was spectacular.
A few of Woods’ finest work got here on the eleventh, twelfth and thirteenth holes, referred to as Amen Nook and one of the vital well-known stretches in golf. On the par-4, 520-yard eleventh, Woods’ strategy shot was 26 yards wanting the outlet. He chipped to a foot and tapped within the putt for par.
With winds swirling on the par-3 twelfth, Woods hit his tee shot lengthy and his ball landed 19 yards above the outlet in pine straw. He chipped his ball down the inexperienced and it settled 6 toes from the cup. He made the putt to avoid wasting par.
On the par-5 thirteenth, Woods hit his drive into timber down the suitable aspect of the sweeping dogleg left gap. He was compelled to execute a difficult punch shot out of the timber and again into the golf green. He knocked his third shot to 22 toes and two-putted for par.
