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Tiger Woods’ newest apply spherical with Fred {Couples} and Justin Thomas regarded completely different than typical.
Ben Jared/Getty Photos
AUGUSTA, Ga. — It’s Tuesday morning on the Masters. Tiger Woods, Justin Thomas and Fred {Couples} are strolling up the sixth gap at Augusta Nationwide. Off the tee. Down the hill. Up the hill on the opposite facet. Three figures wielding putters, silhouetted in opposition to a bottle-green sea. Some issues by no means change.
However this yr, some issues have.
The scene appears completely different. There’s Thomas’ caddie, for one factor. For a number of years now Jim “Bones” Mackay has reduce a definite determine by his facet, however this shall be their first event aside. Mackay was finest caddie associates with Woods’ looper, Joe LaCava, so the Woods-Thomas friendship labored on one other degree. However LaCava is gone, too, off to work for Patrick Cantlay, who performs a full PGA Tour schedule and thus serves as a extra common employer.
They’re the primary group out, braving the rain if it means beating the crowds. Matt Minister — “Rev,” they name him — is looping for Thomas now. He used to loop for Cantlay; it’s a small world out right here. Lance Bennett is on the bag for Woods. They linger on No. 6, watching their gamers hit some putts to Tuesday’s back-left pin place after which watching them pitch balls to different spots, too, like Sunday’s back-right gap. They’ve performed properly in sufficient majors to be optimists.
The greens are agency. Woods hits one skipper that hits, checks, and rolls out some 5 ft previous a tee within the floor. He makes an adjustment. The following one stops stone-dead.
There’s a shortage to watching Tiger Woods nowadays. The Masters was only one cease alongside the way in which, one alternative of 18-20 the place you might see him all year long. Plus, the place and the enjoying companions make it really feel like this may occur yearly, eternally, identical to this. It received’t. {Couples} is 64; he’s talked about seeing the top. Woods is 48; he’s demonstrated the top typically comes earlier than we’d prefer it. He performed 72 holes at only one PGA Tour occasion in 2023. He performed 72 holes at only one PGA Tour occasion in 2022. He performed 72 holes zero occasions in 2021.
All three hit the golf green at 7. They stroll up collectively. We’re used to seeing Woods head-to-toe within the Nike Swoosh however that, too, has modified. His pants bear the title of his new clothes firm: SUN DAY RED. There’s a tiger brand on his hat, and his chest, and his sneakers.
“I’m liking this new look,” one lady says.
“The emblem is silly,” the person says subsequent to her.
Woods sends his Bridgestone ball in the direction of the flag. It’s a blind strategy, so he can’t see it land, however he can inform by the sound. There’s a skip, and a cease, and a roar. It’s a foot away, possibly nearer.
It doesn’t matter. By no means. However after all it does.
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Up on the rostrum, Fred {Couples} smiles.
“The stroll was nice,” he says. “We had fun. Plenty of new tales.”
He’s been hitting extra woods than he’d like, he says. The course is enjoying longer than ever. He’s been injured. He’s withdrawn from two consecutive Champions tour occasions. However he wasn’t lacking this.
“I reside in Newport, and I withdrew there. I reside in Palm Springs, too, and I didn’t even take part. I withdrew after the pro-am,” {Couples} says. “I didn’t contact a membership from Thursday of no matter that was till Sunday right here as a result of I didn’t even need to transfer, and I performed Sunday. Not very properly, however I bought it round. After which at this time.”
{Couples} doesn’t need to embarrass himself with a excessive rating. He’s hoping that received’t be a difficulty.
“I don’t know if that’s a 73 or a 75, however I’m not taking pictures 80,” he says. “Can I shoot 80? In fact I can. However I’m not planning on it.”
He’s eager to level out that he doesn’t ask Woods about issues he won’t need to be requested. Not a lot harm discuss. Not a lot LIV discuss. No stress. No expectations. Nonetheless, when he’s requested in regards to the concept of Woods making his twenty fourth consecutive Masters reduce, his thoughts wanders…
“Nicely, I’ll say this: I believe the very last thing he’s excited about is making the reduce,” he says. “Can he win right here? You recognize what, yeah. I simply watched him play 9 holes, and 9 holes is just 9 holes on a Tuesday, however he by no means mis-hits a shot. However the concept of creating a reduce, I believe he would snigger at that. That’s an enormous document, however he’s right here to win. He’s right here to play actually, actually arduous.”
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Woods is on the placing inexperienced. He’s been shuttled to the media middle for his press availability, the place he confirmed that his physique hurts however he’s optimistic and, if all the things breaks his means, he may have yet another in him. Then he bought shuttled again. Now he’s stroking three-and-a-half foot putts, first together with his proper hand after which his regular grip. His right-hand man Rob McNamara is behind him. His caddie Bennett is by the outlet. He tosses three balls to Woods. Woods has two tees arrange, a putter’s-width aside. He drags a ball between them and strokes it in the direction of the outlet.
That putt goes in, as does the subsequent putt, as does the putt after that. He’s explaining to Bennett how he likes to putt, the place he likes to hit it on the face, what occurs if he misses that spot. He’s speaking about his clubface and what occurs if it will get too shut. It’s nerdy, fascinating stuff. A crowd has gathered on the opposite facet of the rope line. They’re straining to listen to.
Woods makes all three. He makes three extra. He makes three extra. He hits them at completely different speeds. He messes with completely different methods. It’s robust to know what number of he’s made in a row. Fifty? 100? 100 fifty? It doesn’t matter, however after all it does. There are indentations within the apply inexperienced the place his ft have been. He says one thing fascinating to Bennett.
“I putt aggressively to the entrance edge.”
It’s recommendation. It’s philosophy. It’s data for his new man, ought to he have to step in with recommendation of his personal. It’s a three-point shooter saying he weapons for the again rim — however for golf. It’s a reminder that these guys haven’t spent a lot time collectively.
Nowadays, that is limited-edition viewing.
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