International

He’s back: Tiger tees off at Masters in 1st competitive tournament since car crash

In opposition to all odds, Tiger Woods teed off within the Masters on Thursday for his first really aggressive match since a automotive wreck that broken his proper leg so badly he was confronted with the prospect of amputation.

After 5 straight pars — he simply missed a birdie on the robust No. 5 gap when a 15-foot putt lipped out — Woods delivered a classic tee shot on the par-3 sixth.

The ball climbed up a ridge on the inexperienced and stopped 2 toes in need of the flag, leaving Woods with nothing greater than a tap-in to push his rating to 1-under.

That was adequate to place him on the leaderboard, proper behind co-leaders Harry Higgs and Talor Gooch.

Yep, there was a protracted method to go. Nonetheless, it felt as if Woods was already a winner.

This was his first really aggressive match since a automotive wreck in February 2021 broken his proper leg so badly medical doctors instructed him that amputation was choice.

Carrying a pink shirt and black pants, Woods was greeted by thunderous applause when his identify was introduced to an enormous gallery surrounding the primary tee.

Woods did not make strong contact along with his first shot: a 264-yard drive that pale behind a bunker on the suitable facet of the golf green. His strategy rolled off the entrance of the inexperienced, however he sank a 10-foot putt to save lots of par, bringing one other enormous roar from the patrons.

Woods walked slowly and with the slight trace of a limp, understanding that he confronted 4 robust days on a particularly hilly course if he manages to make the lower.

Merely enjoying was a victory for Woods.

His profession was in jeopardy after a devastating, single-car crash in Los Angeles in February 2021. He was confined to a hospital mattress for 3 months and out of the general public eye till final November, when he posted a video of him swinging a membership with a easy message, “Making progress.”

His lone match within the 508 days since he final competed was a just-for-fun occasion in December wherein he rode in a cart and was paired along with his 13-year-old son, Charlie.

Regardless of the lengthy layoff and the plain bodily limitations with screws and rods nonetheless holding the bones in place in his proper leg, Woods stated he nonetheless thinks he can win his sixth inexperienced jacket.

At 46, he can be the oldest Masters champion by three weeks over Jack Nicklaus.

The largest query is how Woods holds up over 18 holes for 4 straight days. He walked 18 holes final week — his first massive take a look at — throughout a scouting journey along with his son.

He teed off at 11:04 a.m. ET Thursday — half-hour delayed due to lingering showers — with Louis Oosthuizen and Joaquin Niemann.

“I can hit it simply tremendous. I haven’t got any qualms about what I can do bodily from a golf standpoint,” Woods stated Tuesday. “Strolling is the laborious half. That is usually not a straightforward stroll to start with. Now given the situations that my leg is in, it will get much more troublesome.

“Seventy-two holes is a protracted street and it’ll be a tricky problem,” he added. “And a problem that I am up for.”



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