At 1:22 p.m. on a sunny Sunday afternoon, the iconic Tiger Woods confidently stepped up to the tee, donning his signature red attire. With great poise, he unleashed his last tee shot of the 2024 Masters, sending the ball soaring through the air and gracefully landing it on the impeccably manicured 18th fairway of Augusta National.
Arriving over five hours ahead of schedule, he found himself waiting for the final-round leaders to tee off, a whole hour away.
After suffering through a disappointing round of 82 on Saturday, which happened to be the worst performance of his career in a major tournament, Woods demonstrated incredible resilience by bouncing back on Sunday. Despite shooting a 5-over par 77, he found himself finishing in last place, a position he is not accustomed to. With a final score of 16-over par, Woods ended up in 60th place, a result that surely left him disappointed.
According to Woods, 48, who no longer plays competitively following his car crash in 2021 that severely injured his right leg, the most difficult aspect he faced over the weekend was the strong and unpredictable winds that disrupted shots during the tournament.
According to the golfer, the challenging conditions on the course, including the strong winds and the effect it had on the golf shots and putting, made it difficult for players. He acknowledged that even a slight miscalculation could result in being out of position. Regrettably, he found himself out of position numerous times during the previous day and a few times today.
However, Woods reassured that there was still hope.
“It was a fantastic week,” he exclaimed. “I’m thrilled with how things panned out. Considering I hadn’t played a full tournament in ages, I was pleasantly surprised by the level of competition on Thursday and Friday.
“Yesterday didn’t quite go as planned for me. I was hoping for a different outcome. Today, I watched Tom Kim shoot a remarkable 6-under 66, and I thought I had that kind of performance in me as well. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to deliver it.”
Tiger Woods has announced his plans to participate in the three remaining men’s majors this season. He will kick off his campaign at the PGA Championship, which will be held at Valhalla in May, followed by the U.S. Open at Pinehurst in June.
When asked about Augusta National, he confidently stated, “This is a golf course I was familiar with beforehand, so I will make sure to thoroughly prepare for Pinehurst, Valhalla, and Troon (the British Open) in the same manner.”
Returning to this place is always a pleasant experience for me. I am familiar with the golf course, and I know how to navigate it effortlessly. In my mind, I can envision the shots I need to make, although it’s never quite the same as actually being out on the course. Similarly, I’ve been informed that there have been some alterations made at the upcoming venues, so I plan to arrive early to familiarize myself with the changes.
After enduring a miserable weekend, Tiger Woods chose not to dwell on the past and instead focused on moving forward.