Tiger Woods suffers torrid start to Masters third round

Tiger Woods was nine-over for the tournament when play was suspended for the day.

Matt Slocum/AP

CNN
 — 

The sound of the klaxon which brought the third day of The Masters to an early end may have been music to Tiger Woods’ ears after the golf great endured a torrid start to his third round.

On a cold and damp Saturday, with the rain pummeling down, Woods could be seen limping as he went about what looked like the painful and exhausting task of making his way around the hilly Augusta course.

Tiger Woods lines up a putt on the 16th hole during the weather delayed second round of the Masters golf tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on Saturday, April 8, 2023, in Augusta, Ga.

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Tiger Woods makes the cut at The Masters

When organizers deemed that the persistent rain made the course unplayable, Woods was nine-over for the tournament and six-over for the round.

Before the severe leg injuries suffered in a 2021 car crash, Woods had undergone multiple surgeries on his back. Many would have understood had Woods withdrawn in such unforgiving conditions, but he displayed his usual grit and resilience to carry on even though hopes of winning a sixth green jacket had long since faded.

Starting on the 10th hole, as organizers tried to get as much of the play completed as possible after the second round was suspended on Friday because of bad weather, Woods began with a bogey.

Tiger Woods walks the 18th green during the second round on Saturday, April 8.

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A spectator watches play on the 12th hole in the rain on Saturday.

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Fred Couples waves to patrons after finishing his second round on Saturday. Couples made history as the oldest player to make the cut at the Masters.

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Groundskeepers remove standing water on green during the continuation of the weather-delayed second round on Saturday.

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Patrick Cantlay plays a shot from a bunker on the 18th hole on Saturday.

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A security guard moves people away from trees that blew over on the 17th hole of the Augusta National Golf Club on Friday. No injuries were reported.

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Brooks Koepka tees off on the 10th hole Friday. He is 12 under par heading into the weekend.

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Jason Day and William Kane, caddie for Gordon Sargent, read the first green on Friday.

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Woods tees off on the eighth hole Friday.

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Amateur Sam Bennett plays a shot on the second hole Friday. He shot 68s on both Thursday and Friday.

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Jon Rahm plays out from the bunker on the second hole Friday.

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Billy Horschel reacts to a shot on the second hole Friday.

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Viktor Hovland chips onto the 10th green Thursday. The Norwegian shot a 7-under 65 and shared the first-round lead with Koepka and Rahm.

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Patrick Reed’s caddie, Kessler Karain, helps Reed line up a putt on the 13th hole Thursday.

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Woods grimaces on the fourth tee Thursday. The five-time Masters champion said his surgically repaired right leg felt sore Thursday and that the pain is “constant.”

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Phil Mickelson hits a shot on the second hole Thursday.

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Adam Scott plays a bunker shot on the second hole Thursday.

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Pins adorn a spectator’s hat on Thursday.

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Defending Masters champion Scottie Scheffler hits his tee shot on the seventh hole Thursday.

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Sergio Garcia fishes his ball out of the creek on No. 13.

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A worker updates one of the leaderboards Thursday at Augusta National.

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Koepka hits his tee shot on the 14th hole Thursday.

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Hideki Matsuyama, who won the tournament two years ago, looks over a putt on the second hole.

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Rahm and his caddie, Adam Hayes, are seen on the third green Thursday.

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Golf legend Jack Nicklaus hits a ceremonial tee shot before the start of the first round. He was joined by Gary Player and Tom Watson.

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Rory McIlroy signs autographs after competing in the traditional par 3 contest that is held the day before the start of the tournament.

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Min Woo Lee walks to the 15th green during a practice round Wednesday.

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Neither the conditions nor his form improved much after that. Another bogey on the 14th and double bogeys on the 15th and 16th left the 47-year-old bottom of the leaderboard with the worst score of the day.

The five-time Masters champion had had little time to enjoy making the cut at Augusta for a record-equaling 23rd consecutive time, starting his third round a few hours after completing the second round.

The third round will resume Sunday at 8:30 a.m ET, with the final round expected to start at 12:30 p.m. ET, The Masters said in a statement.

Tournament leader Brooks Koepka was one of just 11 golfers to shoot under par before the end of play, the four-time major winner extending his lead over second-placed John Rahm to four shots.