Fans were left fearing for the long term fitness of Tiger Woods after video footage showed the 15-time major champion in visible pain after making the cut at The Masters.
Woods, 47, seemed destined to miss out on the weekend after he bogeyed the 17th and 18th holes to go three-over par for the tournament on Friday, leaving him needing others to slip back. But sure enough, a late collapse from Justin Thomas amended the cut line and allowed his American compatriot to remain in the tournament.
In doing so, Woods equalled Gary Player and Fred Couples’ record of making 23 consecutive cuts at The Masters, having defied the odds to do the same 12 months ago upon his return from injury. But the toll of consecutive rounds was clearly apparent when in the early stages of his third round on Saturday - and he has since withdrawn from the iconic major tournament.
As the rain teemed down, the 15-time major champion dropped three shots in his first seven holes, leaving him bottom of the leaderboard. And he appeared anything but content as the impact on his right leg became apparent.
A video posted by @Reflog_18 showed the extend of discomfort, with Woods limping badly back to his bag on the fairway. The caption "Tiger Woods. Painful to watch," was an apt summary of his appearance.
Woods was perhaps helped by play being abandoned due to the inclement weather, but supporters were left questioning whether he will complete the tournament: "Tough to watch but also inspirational. Incredible that he’s even playing at all after the extent of his injuries," wrote @3cbPerformance.
"If he can’t walk the 18 holes. He can’t play," warned @Bob20808110, while Mike Thompson added: "My mom would tell me when I was young that if you don't have your health you don't have anything. Very sad to see."
Another said: "I didn’t think it was that bad. Damm."
Woods was quoted at 50-1 by some bookmakers for a fairytale win at Augusta, but that notion is now all but impossible as he lies 19 shots off leader Brooks Koepka. The LIV Golf star had reached 13 under par through six holes when the heavy rain arrived.
Spaniard Jon Rahm was his closest challenger at nine under par. But it remains to be seen if the two front runners can complete 30 holes on Sunday, with Monday kept back as a reserve day in case of more adverse conditions on Sunday.
