This weary, wounded Tiger is still a sight to lift a day for all around him
IT wasn’t the conclusion Tiger Woods wanted but it also wasn’t the end. If he proved anything across his week at the Masters, it is that he has retained his capacity to amaze well beyond his time as a contender for titles.
This trip was never going to end with another, no matter what he may have told himself. That jacket was always heading for one of the men not yet on the course when he left it at 1.30pm, soaked in sweat and holding an ugly scorecard.
But success can live in many guises and for Woods there was triumph to be found in those 77 blows of his closing round. Just as it could be found in the 82 comprising his worst ever loop of a major on Saturday. Combined, those numbers left him sitting dead last of those who made the cut, but there was victory in that too. Not the sort he would care for. But how many great players didn’t make the cut here?
As a starting point you can list Dustin Johnson, Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas and Viktor Hovland. You can also add Wyndham Clark and Brian Harman, who both won majors last year.
They did not reach the weekend, but Woods did for a record 24th time in succession on these grounds. After everything that has failed in his body, after all the difficulties he has brought on himself, he is still pushing out boundaries.
Sunday’s 77, taking his final tally to 16 over par, a full 23 behind the mark on which Scottie Scheffler started his final round, was not as poor as it might sound.
With 14 pars, it was mainly steady, beyond one almighty mess on the fifth, which he triplebogeyed when his drive into the trees was declared unplayable. After returning to the tee for a reload he eventually three-putted.
The rest of the loop was fairly nondescript, save for the finale when he came within an inch of chipping in for birdie at the last. This was not vintage stuff, and yet the mere sight of Woods can lift a day for those around him. That is his place in golf. Consider the reaction of his final-round playing partner, the 22-year-old college amateur Neal Shipley. He was devastated after closing out Saturday’s round with a double bogey, only to then learn he would be paired with Woods.
‘When we got here this morning and saw Tiger on the range, it was like, “Oh, my gosh, this is actually happening”,’ he said. ‘It was really cool. Playing with Tiger, Sunday at the Masters, the whole week, I think I have to win one of these things to kind of top this week.’
He at least won the day — Shipley’s 71 was six better than that of his partner and he sampled galleries that were bigger than any that later followed the leaders. Certainly larger than those accompanying Rory McIlroy, whose tournament never came close to igniting.
Out on the course, playing for far more than pride, Scheffler had commenced his round with Collin Morikawa, Max Homa and the phenomenon Ludvig Aberg all within three shots of his lead at seven under.
Scheffler’s first real mistake came at the fourth when he overshot the green on the par three and missed a 15ft putt for the save.
To capitalise, there needed to be a bolter from the pack. At the time of going to press, it wasn’t coming from Morikawa — he was playing steady with six pars to start.
Likewise Homa balanced one birdie with a bogey in his first seven holes in the group behind, but Tommy Fleetwood was making a good run, albeit from far back.
After nine holes he had surged from one under to three under, with fellow Englishman Tyrrell Hatton also making a dent — starting three over on a course he dislikes, he had reached two under through 14. Great round, but surely too little too late.
Where the threat seemed to develop was from Aberg, 24, on his major debut. A 22ft birdie putt at the second and another birdie at seven moved him to six under.
100 100th was Woods’ THIS the 21st at Augusta, round a century. Even man to hit this week’s struggles after score in his combined is 73 those 100 rounds five under, with Green Jackets.