Fifteen-time major champion Tiger Woods struggled to a 10-over 82 during the third round of The Masters at Augusta National; Watch Featured Groups on Sunday from 3pm via the red button or by logging in to the Sky Sports app
Sunday 14 April 2024 13:37, UK
Tiger Woods set an unwanted record at The Masters after carding the worst major round of his professional career during a disappointing third day at Augusta National - but vowed to be ready for Sunday's finale.
Woods came through a marathon Friday to make a record-breaking 24th consecutive cut at Augusta National, where weather delays left him having to play 23 holes - his most in one day of a competitive tournament since 2019.
Rounds of 72 and 73 in strong winds took him to the weekend within seven strokes of the halfway lead and with an outside chance to push for a record-equalling sixth Masters title, only for those hopes to quickly fade after dropping six shots in four holes on his front nine.
Woods stuttered to the turn in 42 - the worst of his Masters career - and continued to struggle throughout the third round as he eventually signed for a 10-over 82, dropping him to tied-52nd of the 60 players who made the cut.
It is just the third time Woods has failed to break 80 in his major career as a professional, with the others being an 81 during the third round of 2002 Open Championship and an 80 to start the 2015 US Open, with the total some four strokes worse than his previous highest total at The Masters.
"I was not hitting it very good or putting well," Woods said. "I didn't have a very good warm-up session and I kept it going all day today. Just hit the ball in all the places that I know I shouldn't hit it. I missed a lot of putts. Easy, makeable putts - I missed a lot of them."
Playing alongside former Masters champion Danny Willett, Woods opened with three straight pars and undid a three-putt bogey at the fourth by holing from just under 20 feet to birdie the par-four next.
Woods' round began to unravel when he three-putted from the fringe at the sixth - missing his par-save effort from five feet, with the former world No 1 chipping into a greenside bunker at the next on his way to the first of back-to-back double bogeys.
A three-putt double bogey was followed by another dropped shot at the ninth, with Woods following successive pars to start his back nine by failing to get up and down from off the green at the iconic par-three 12th.
Woods did birdie the par-five next but then went on a run of four consecutive bogeys, dropping him to 11 over for the tournament, before closing a historic day with a two-putt par at the last.
"I haven't competed and played much," Woods added. "I had chances to get it flipped around and when I made that putt at five, I promptly three-putted six and flubbed a chip at seven and just got it going the wrong way. When I had opportunities to flip it, I didn't."
He withdrew due to injury ahead of the final day last year, with the challenge now being to get himself physically ready to finish the tournament on Sunday. He last finished 72 holes of a major at The Masters in 2022 and has only completed all four rounds on three occasions since his car crash in February 2021.
"My team will get me ready," Woods said. "It will be a long night and a long warm-up session, but we'll be ready."
Woods' former coach Butch Harmon, reflecting on his round, said: "Tiger will be very upset with this round. We know when he teed off he thought he had a chance to move up this leaderboard.
"I think playing 23 holes yesterday had to put some wear and tear on his body. Still, to have Tiger over the weekend at The Masters is what we're looking for. It's a pleasure to have him back."
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