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AUGUSTA, Ga. — The pink shade of his shirt was the one reminder of a lot of his previous Sundays on the Masters. It was round 1:30 p.m. ET on the Augusta Nationwide Golf Membership and the eventual winner, Scottie Scheffler, was nonetheless an hour away from beginning his remaining spherical.
However right here was Tiger Woods, who was accustomed to taking part in late on Sunday afternoons, ending his day with a 5-over par 77 to complete in final place among the many 60 gamers who made the 36-hole minimize.
On Saturday, the five-time Masters winner — saddled with again ache — shot an 82 for his worst spherical in 26 appearances in golf’s first main of the 12 months. But he was decided to complete the match. Solely Woods might draw a such a large gallery, the place the patrons hadn’t come to see him compete for the inexperienced jacket, as a lot to have a good time what he had been when he was the perfect golfer on earth.
As he made his method up the 18th gap on Sunday, the patrons swelled across the inexperienced, forming an amphitheater for maybe this nice participant’s final scene on this grand stage.
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The 15-time main winner has by no means seemed worse in a storied profession mired with accidents. In Saturday’s third spherical, Woods hit simply eight greens on his technique to two double bogeys, eight bogeys and two birdies. It was extra of the identical on Sunday. After making a birdie on the par 5 second gap, he went six over for his subsequent 16 holes and had only one birdie within the spherical.
But he declared the week a hit, exhibiting a defiance and optimism for a taking part in profession with bleak prospects for the long run.
“It was a great week throughout,” he mentioned. “I believe that coming in right here, not having performed a full match in a really very long time, it was a great combat on Thursday and Friday. Sadly, yesterday it didn’t fairly prove the way in which I wished it to.”
Woods is set, if not maybe a tad delusional, to imagine that he nonetheless has what it takes over 72 holes to win a serious championship or any match. However few athletes in any sport have proven as a lot dedication as he has to overcoming adversity to return to the winner’s circle.
On Sunday morning, Woods rose at 3:45 a.m. to undergo the therapies to get his physique ready for his 9:35 a.m. tee time. The place as soon as he set the usual for excellence on the course, inflicting gamers to tremble with worry in his presence, he’s now nearly pitied by opponents, whilst they revere him as a god within the sport.
“I don’t assume anybody desires to catch Tiger at his finest,” mentioned Neal Shipley, a 23-year-old newbie who performed with Woods on Sunday. “Nobody goes to win when he’s taking part in his finest. Definitely rooting for him and rooting for good golf pictures. I actually respect all of the work that he does to maintain his physique prepared to return out right here. He’s actually grinding and making a giant dedication to be out right here for everybody.”
Woods will let you know how laborious he’s working. It’s his nature each to do the work and speak about it. Today, he’s doing extra coaching than taking part in aggressive golf. On Sunday afternoon, he repeated his mantra: “hold the motor going, hold the physique transferring, hold getting stronger, hold progressing.”
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However to what finish will all this work serve for his future as a severe challenger in main championships?
Coming into the Masters, many within the golf world had been hoping that Woods’ physique might face up to Augusta Nationwide’s hills for 4 days. On Sunday afternoon, there was a sigh of aid on the faces of many within the gallery when he walked up the 18th gap. It was a aid that was additionally on his face. He couldn’t be glad by his play, however the vicissitudes of life have taught the 48-year-old to be grateful over extra modest features like a pain-free day and easily finishing a match.
By the point he completed signing his scorecard, Woods was already wanting towards the rest of the 12 months’s main championship schedule. In Could, the PGA Championship will likely be held on the Valhalla Golf Membership in Louisville, Kentucky. In 2000 at Valhalla, Woods beat Bob Could in a three-hole playoff for his second straight PGA Championship. That was the Woods who was within the midst of profitable 4 straight main championships.
He can’t be that participant once more and he is aware of it, however that doesn’t imply he’s not decided to get another shot at greatness.
