Danielle Parhizkaran / USA TODAY NETWORK
Woods could not overcome injuries to make it through the tournament.
Tiger Woods officially withdrew from The Masters on Sunday morning.
Ahead of a marathon day of golf during which Woods would have needed to play 29 holes to complete the event, a noticeably exhausted Tiger opted out early.
“I am disappointed to have to WD this morning due to re-aggravating my plantar fasciitis,” Woods said on Twitter. “Thank you to the fans and to @TheMasters who have shown me so much love and support. Good luck to the players today!”
Before injuries got the best of him this week, Woods was still able to join the Augusta National record books. A grueling Saturday morning in the cold rain saw Woods make his 23rd consecutive cut at the event, tying him with friend and mentor Fred Couples and Gary Player on the all-time Masters list.
Even if Woods isn’t able to compete for major championships at this stage in his career, the solo consecutive cuts record looms next year as something that is achievable for Woods after he’s made the weekend the last two years at Augusta.
While a Masters Sunday without Woods is a disappointment, it’s also easy to understand the logic for Tiger getting out now. Saturday’s play was overshadowed by a cold and miserable rain storm that made it difficult for every player in the field to play normal golf. For the 47-year-old Woods, still only two years removed from a serious car accident and numerous follow-up surgeries to his leg, walking Augusta National in those conditions proved to be unbearable.
Woods plummeted to last place, among players still in the field, when third-round action continued on Saturday. Before play was ultimately suspended for the day late Saturday afternoon, Woods was +6 through seven holes, including back-to-back double bogeys to end the day.
The question now pivots to when we might see Tiger play again. The PGA Championship is the next major on May 18 at Oak Hill Country Club in Rochester, NY. That would give Woods and his team about five weeks to rest and recover before taking another chance at major No. 16.
