TIGER BREAKS Faldo: His mental strength takin
TIGER WOODS is showing “incredible mental fortitude” by returning to play the Masters through “24/7” pain, Sir Nick Faldo has revealed. The English legend presented the American superstar with his first ever Green Jacket in 1997 as the defending champion.
Now 25 years later, Faldo is commentating for US TV as Woods makes his latest remarkable comeback only 14 months after his serious car accident.
Woods, 46, nearly lost his right leg and spent three months in hospital.
And the three-time winner Faldo, who attended the Champions’ Dinner in the Augusta National clubhouse with Woods, said: “I have chatted to him this week. He said he is in pain constantly, 24/7.
‘‘In his own words, he said: ‘It is just pain. I can deal with it’.
‘‘It is incredible mental fortitude that this man has. He battles on.that is all he knows.
“It is absolutely incredible. He is pushing through the mental and physical barriers very few of us can comprehend.
‘‘Somewhere during this recovery, he has said to himself: ‘I am Tiger Woods. It is not going to end this way. I am going to end my career being a golfer’.
‘‘You do know that anything is possible with this man.”
Woods first flew up to Augusta last week to play a practice round and then rationed himself to nine holes on Sunday, Monday and Wednesday in the build-up to the 86th Masters. “It’s been years since I have played this much,” he said.
The world No.944 started with rounds of 71 and 74 to make his 22nd Masters consecutive cut.
The only timewoods failed to play the weekend was as an amateur in 1996, world No.1 Scottie Scheffler