Tiger Woods ends turbulent Masters weekend with nod to Augusta legend

Tiger Woods did not have the weekend at the Masters he wanted.

After making his record-breaking 24th-straight cut, the five-time green jacket winner ballooned to his worst-ever Masters Saturday with an 82. He wasn’t much better on Sunday, coming home with a 77 to finish at 16 over, last place among the 60 players who made the cut. It’s Woods’ worst finish at the Masters aside from his lone missed cut as an amateur in 1996 and his WD a year ago.

His four-round total of 304 is also his worst score at the Masters — or any other major — three strokes higher than his finish here in 2022.

It’s just the third time Woods has completed 72 holes at an official event since his comeback from a devastating car crash began at the 2022 Masters. Two of those came at the Masters, while the third was at last year’s Genesis Invitational.

That achievement was not lost on Woods despite his finish.

“It was a good week. It was a good week all around,” he said. “I think that 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 it to.”

Woods mentioned doing homework on “Pinehurst, Valhalla and Troon,” the sites of the year’s other three majors but stopped short on committing to next month’s PGA Championship.

“Just keep lifting, keep the motor going, keep the body moving, keep getting stronger, keep progressing,” he said. “Hopefully the practice sessions will keep getting longer.”

Despite not achieving an impressive score, Woods did experience a memorable moment with a legendary figure at Augusta National as he finished the 16th hole.

While the golfer who has won the Masters five times was recreating one of his well-known shots, Verne Lundquist, the person who provided commentary for them on television, could be seen standing behind the putting green. Lundquist is set to retire from calling the Masters for CBS after this week, and people may speculate whether he wished to have the opportunity to make a memorable commentary for Woods one last time — even if it was only for his own ears.

Woods almost provided him with the chance. Woods hit his tee shot into the front bunker and then hit his second shot past the flag, taking advantage of the slope behind the hole to bring the ball back toward the cup.

The ball gained momentum as it rolled back towards the flag before narrowly missing on the right side.

The broadcast focused on the group’s coverage, capturing a moment where Woods was standing with Lundquist as the lone observer in the background.

“For the past 25 years, these two individuals have embodied the essence of the Masters tournament – one with exceptional skills, and the other with a captivating voice,” Shane Bacon remarked during the broadcast.

Before approaching the 17th tee, Woods took a moment to greet the broadcasting legend. The content of their conversation was not disclosed by Woods, however, it is undeniable that their partnership is truly unique and unparalleled in the world of golf.