HE wore his trademark red shirt for the final round of the Masters and drew packed crowds, but this was a Tiger Woods morning matinee show at Augusta.
Swarms of fans, so rarely seen at 9:35 a.m. on the final day at Augusta — a full five hours before the leaders were due to tee off — were proof, if any were needed, that Woods remains golf’s top box-office draw.
But his scorecard over the final two rounds of this year’s Masters told another story — the rather sad tale of a fading star, no longer capable of competing with the best over four rounds at the famous old course where he has won five titles.
A 10-over par 82 wrecked any chance of a final-round charge and when he triple bogeyed the fifth on Sunday and followed with a bogey at six, there was the risk of Woods venturing into embarrassing territory.
But showing all of his professional pride, deep course knowledge and still sharp technique, Woods steadied the ship with pars until another bogey on the 15th as he cared a five-over 77.
He left the 18th green to a huge ovation from the crowd but also in last position on the leaderboard, 16-over for the tournament.
“It doesn’t take much to get out of position here. Unfortunately, I got out of position a lot yesterday and a couple times today,” said Woods, who was nonetheless pleased with his effort over the four rounds.
His battle through 23 holes to make the cut for a record 24th time at the Masters was evidence that his competitive spirit remains as strong as ever but his collapse came in the third round with his Masters-worst 82.
“It was a good week. It was a good week all around,” he said. “Coming in here, not having played a full tournament in a very long time, it was a good fight on Thursday and Friday. Unfortunately, yesterday it didn’t quite turn out the way I wanted.”
As he tends to his aches and pains over the coming days, the 48-year-old may ponder if it is really worth putting himself through the physical torture of what for him has become an endurance test.
But, as yet, he shows no indication of being ready to call it a day, saying his plans include the next three majors.
“I’m going to do my homework going forward at Pinehurst, Valhalla and Troon… that’s kind of the game plan,” he said.
Next year will mark the 30th anniversary of Woods’ first appearance at the Masters, as an amateur in 1995 when he finished 41st.
Adoring Augusta cheers Tiger Woods
The following year, Woods returned to Augusta — as a rookie professional — and promptly won the tournament, launching his era of domination of the sport that has included five Masters wins.
Woods has 15 major titles, the most recent his astonishing comeback win at the Masters in 2019 — his first major triumph in 11 years and one that offered the tantalizing promise of a glorious late career revival despite the wear and tear on his body.
