Tiger Woods Injury Update: Is Early Withdrawal From Masters on 15x Major Champion’s Agenda?

It appears Tiger Woods’s fans can rest a bit easy tonight. Although the round was suspended, the golfer managed to finish a total of 13 holes, all the while scoring 1-under par. However, being his first appearance after the Genesis Invitational, where he was forced to withdraw, the question arises: is he in optimum condition to resume play tomorrow with an extended session likely?

The golfer was spotted in an interview after the suspension of the first round. When asked about his physical condition, the 15-time major champion replied, “It’s there. The body is okay. We’ve got some work to do yet tonight,” while referring to his health, but he could be in for a more challenging day on Friday given that he would have to play 23 holes after his first day outing cut short.

It will be the first time Woods will play more than 18 holes on the same day in a tournament competition since November 2019, when he played 29 holes during a lengthy Sunday. He eventually won a record-equalling 82nd PGA Tour title the following day. Woods is aiming to make the record-breaking 24th consecutive cut at The Masters, but to achieve that, his surgically repaired legs and back will have to stand the strain of walking 23 holes.

When asked what he felt about resuming his first round on Friday, Woods wasn’t too concerned, he said, “Well, it was nice to finish up 13. We’re going to warm up and just kind of head down there and start our round, and I think the flow would be pretty much almost like between 20 and 30 minutes in between rounds, so it’ll be a natural flow from the finish of the first round and continuation of the second.” It appears the veteran pro is all set to keep the momentum going while taking care of his health. Thus, for now, WD is out of the picture in Woods’s mind. However, did mention how the Augusta layout can be challenging.

Woods said, “It’s certainly one of the more hillier walks we have on tour. We’re just meandering back and forth across that hillside. So, yeah, it is a long walk.” Even before the event tournament started, Woods sounded positive about going the distance despite admitting to be “hurt.”

During the pre-tournament news conference, Woods admitted, “I hurt every day. Every shot that’s not on the tee box is a challenge…If everything comes together, I think I can get one more,” referring to adding one more Masters title to his collection of five. His sudden withdrawal from the Genesis Invitational does raise some concerns though Woods provided an explanation for that as well.

“I wasn’t ready to play. My body wasn’t ready. My game wasn’t ready. And I thought that when I was at (the Hero World Challenge), once a month would be a really nice rhythm. Hasn’t worked out that way,” Woods said.

Day 1 didn’t seem to be too bad for the five-time Masters winner at Augusta National. Fascinatingly, he managed to score a total of 2 birdies on the first nine at the par-4, Tea Olive (No. 1), and the par-5, Yellow Jasmine (No. 8), while carding just a single bogey at the par-3, Flowering Crab Apple (No. 4). Woods did mention how the windy conditions made the play tricker.

He said, “It was one of the most tricky days that I’ve ever been a part of. The wind was all over the place. It was hard to get a beat not only on what direction it was going, but the intensity, and it kept switching. It was a very difficult day.”

Meanwhile, the delay of the day’s play and the subsequent suspension of the round might prove to be a bit hectic for the 48-year-old Woods, who will have to finish the rest on the second day. Set to play a total of 23 rounds when the first round resumes at 7:50 AM ET, the situation might cause him potential discomfort, given what happened at Masters 2023.

Tiger Woods and his 2023 Masters WD

The American pro was forced to pull out of the major at Augusta National back in 2023 after the second round after he experienced a slip between the 16th and 17th holes, the Redbud and Nandina, respectively. What’s more, consequently, his plantar fasciitis started to get aggravated on his surgically repaired leg, leading him to be unable to proceed. Interestingly, such a slip happened due to the dampness of the course as a result of the unfavorable weather conditions.

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However, coming to the 2024 Masters, the second round, as per weather reports, is forecasted to witness a lot of wind (West-Northwest at 30mph) and sunlight with low humidity when compared to the previous days. Moreover, the highest temperature will reach as much as 73F while dipping as low as 56F. Well, the patrons as well as the fans of the game will surely hope the rest of the rounds go without any hitch.

For Woods, a marathon day awaits, and as he looks to make a 24th straight cut at Augusta.

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