AUGUSTA, Ga. — Everyone knew the start of Friday was going to be tough for Tiger Woods. A quick turnaround and a cold spring temperature didn’t do Woods any favours.
He shot a 1-over 73 to open the 88th Masters making two bogeys in five holes after the morning restart.
Woods needed to finish five holes of his first round Friday after a two-and-a-half-hour weather delay pushed tee times the day prior.
Woods left his approach short on the par-4 14th short and hit a zippy chip about 30 feet past the hole leading to a bogey. He also knocked his approach on 18 (the hardest hole on the course in the first round) into the bunker and couldn’t get up-and-down.
Woods opened with a birdie on the par-4 first and added another on No. 8. Overall, he’ll be disappointed with the finish but looked solid, overall.
When his round finished, he was tied for 35th. The top 50 and ties will make the cut. If Woods finds the weekend, it’ll be his 24th straight cut at Augusta National — a new record.
While Woods seemed to thrive in the late-afternoon Georgia humidity Thursday, he struggled to move his body through Friday morning, with temperatures hovering around 13 degrees.
“The body is OK,” Woods said Thursday night. “We’ve got some work to do yet tonight.”
Woods had less than an hour of turnaround time before his second round begins and was visibly stiff as he walked up the hill on 18. He hit just 50 percent of his greens in the first round, and 11/14 fairways.
Woods, who is celebrating the fifth anniversary of his “Return to Glory” Masters victory in 2019, has battled a myriad of injuries over the last decade or so. His ankle and back are now fused, and every day is a challenge.
“Some days I just feel really good, and other days, not so much,” Woods said with a smile on Tuesday.
But Woods said he isn’t quite ready to stop teeing it up at Augusta National any time soon.
“It’s been a part of my life to have won here as my first major as a pro. Hugging my dad, as you saw; then a full circle in 2019 to hug my son,” Woods said. “It has meant a lot to my family. It’s meant a lot to me. I always want to keep playing in this.”
Woods came into the Masters having played just 24 competitive golf holes on the PGA Tour this year. He made the cut at the Masters in 2023 but withdrew Sunday morning prior to the conclusion of his third round.
He’s eight back of the first-round leader, Bryson DeChambeau.
