Out of contention, Tiger content to be playing
AUGUSTA, Ga. — Tiger Woods closed out his first major championship since 2015 with a finalround 69 Sunday at the Masters to finish 1-over for the tournament.
Despite never being in contention all week, Woods walked away thankful to simply be playing again for green jackets.
“I missed it,’’ he said. “I missed playing out here. For a couple of years, I’ve just been coming here just to eat [at the annual Masters Champions Dinner]. And now to be able to play this golf course and to be able to tee it up and play in the Masters, this is one of the greatest walks in all of golf. I had missed it for the last couple of years.’’
Woods, who entered the week riding a streak of good form, with a runner-up finish at the Valspar and a tie for fifth at the Arnold Palmer, never was sharp this week in any facet of his game. He finished having hit only 30-of-56 fairways on a very easy driving golf course. He hit just 48-of-72 greens. And his putting was not as sharp as it had been in recent weeks.
“I hit my irons awful for the week,’’ He said. “It was a little bit disappointing I didn’t hit my irons as well as I needed to. You miss it just a touch here it gets magnified. I did not putt well [Sunday]. I three-putted [No.] 7 and threeputted 18. I didn’t put it together when I needed to for the entire week.’’
Woods, who has played five times in the last two months, said he plans to “take a little time off ’’ now before returning to likely play the Players Championship in May (and possibly Wells Fargo in Charlotte, N.C.).
“Generally after this tournament I put away the clubs for a while,’’ Woods said. “I usually take three-to-four weeks off and usually the clubs are put in the closet and I just kind of get away for a while. The run-up to this event is pretty hard and pretty grueling. I pushed myself pretty hard to get ready.’’
➤ Phil Mickelson ended a disappointing week with a finalround 67 Sunday to finish 2-over for the Masters. Now he sets his sights on the U.S. Open in June at Shinnecock Hills, where he will have another chance to complete the career grand slam.
“The difficult thing for me is I continue to put a little bit too much pressure on myself in the majors now because I know that I don’t have a ton of time to win them, especially U.S. Opens,’’ Mickelson said. “But these next two U.S. Opens, Shinnecock and Pebble Beach, give me two really good opportunities. So I need to keep my game, get my game sharp. In the past, I’ve been on at Shinnecock [runner-up in 2004], and I’m hopeful to do it again.’’
➤ Doug Ghim, the only amateur to make the cut and play the weekend, finished in style by holing out a birdie chip on the 18th hole to close at 8-over for the tournament. Ghim later was awarded the trophy for low amateur in the Butler Cabin.