5-time champion at Augusta greeted by thunderous praise on 1st hole
Versus all odds, Tiger Woods teed off in the Masters on Thursday for his very first truly affordable event given that a car accident that harmed his appropriate leg so terribly he was confronted with the possibility of amputation.
After 5 straight pars– he just missed out on a birdie at the hard No. 5 opening when a 15-foot putt lipped out– Woods delivered a vintage tee chance at the par-3 sixth.
The ball went up a ridge on the environment-friendly and quit 2 feet short of the flag, leaving Woods with nothing more than a tap-in to push his score to 1-under.
That was good enough to put him on the leaderboard, right behind co-leaders Harry Higgs and Talor Gooch.
Yep, there was a lengthy means to go. Still, it really felt as if Woods was already a victor.
This was his first really affordable event since a car wreck in February 2021 harmed his best leg so terribly medical professionals informed him that amputation was alternative.
Wearing a pink t-shirt and also black pants, Woods was welcomed by roaring applause when his name was revealed to a substantial gallery bordering the very first tee.
Woods fell short to make strong contact with his initial shot: a 264-yard drive that faded behind a bunker on the right side of the fairway. His method rolled off the front of the environment-friendly, yet he sank a 10-foot putt to save the same level, bringing an additional substantial holler from the patrons.
Woods walked slowly as well as with the minor tip of a limp, knowing that he faced four hard days on a very uneven training course if he handles to make it.
Merely playing was a victory for Woods.
His occupation was in jeopardy after a destructive, single-car accident in Los Angeles in February 2021. He was constrained to a medical facility bed for 3 months and also out of the general public eye up until last November, when he posted a video clip of him turning a club with a simple message, “Making progress.”
His single event in the 508 days because he last completed was a just-for-fun occasion in December in which he rode in a cart as well as was coupled with his 13-year-old kid, Charlie.
In spite of the long layoff and also the apparent physical restrictions with rods as well as screws still holding the bones in position in his ideal leg, Woods said he still believes he can win his 6th eco-friendly jacket.
At 46, he would be the earliest Masters champ by three weeks over Jack Nicklaus.
The most significant question is exactly how Woods stands up over 18 openings for four straight days. He walked 18 openings last week– his first huge examination– throughout a searching journey with his kid.
He embarked on at 11:04 a.m. ET Thursday– 30 minutes behind timetable because of remaining showers– with Louis Oosthuizen and also Joaquin Niemann.
” I can hit it simply fine. I don’t have any type of agitations regarding what I can do physically from a golf viewpoint,” Woods said Tuesday. “Strolling is the tough component. This is generally not a very easy walk to start with. Currently provided the problems that my leg remains in, it gets back at harder.
” Seventy-two holes is a lengthy roadway and also it’s mosting likely to be a challenging difficulty,” he included. “And a challenge that I’m up for.”
Tiger Woods tracker at Masters 2022: Live score, updates, information coverage, tee time, view real-time stream
In a stunning turn of occasions, Tiger Woods will tee it up at the 2022 Masters as he goes with his 16th major champion as well as the 83rd win of his profession just 14 months after virtually shedding his right leg in an auto mishap. Woods has actually been the only golf enthusiast anybody has actually spoken about all week … and also deservedly so. He’s won 5 green coats over the course of his historical profession, never ever missed out on a cut as a pro at the Masters, as well as his swing and also his video game have both festinated throughout numerous method rounds today.
The last official tournament Woods played was, in fact, the 2020 Masters, held in November that year in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. Soon afterwards, he had one more surgical treatment on his back and afterwards invested the following year rehabbing both that in addition to his appropriate leg, going through physical therapy so extreme Woods stated on Tuesday he wouldn’t want it on anybody.
Regardless of every one of this, Woods goes to Augusta National to win. He said, “I do,” when he asked straight up if he expected to win the 2022 Masters, which would certainly be a genuinely amazing feat offered just how hard it is to win this event when totally healthy and not 14 months removed from almost losing a limb in an auto crash.
CBS Sports will be covering Woods live throughout the Masters with continuous protection in this area. Keep analysis for tales and also schedule info along with constant updates throughout his time at Augusta National today, and do not miss our real-time Masters coverage beginning with Round 1 on Thursday.