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AUGUSTA, GA. — The morning mild framed the image completely. Tiger Woods, standing on 14 tee with the long-lasting 13 inexperienced at Augusta Nationwide Golf Membership within the background. It was a scene that might have solely occurred beneath these circumstances — an unfinished spherical on account of a climate delay on Thursday, an early morning begin on Friday — nevertheless it was one which nonetheless exuded the inexplicable factor about Augusta that Woods would later describe as “aura” and “mystique.”
With the patrons nonetheless trickling onto the grounds, the gang round Woods at this nook of the property that normally resembles a stadium tour felt extra like an intimate acoustic session. The chirping of the morning birds coloured the silent air earlier than the sound of Woods’ driver reduce via it. At 7:50 a.m. Woods was off and the grind had simply begun.
By the point it was over — practically 10 hours and 23 holes later — Woods had made historical past. He completed at 1-over and made the reduce for a record-Twenty fourth consecutive Masters. When requested about it after his second spherical was over, nonetheless, the 15-time main winner was bored with basking in historical past.
“It means I’ve an opportunity going into the weekend, I am right here,” Woods mentioned of his new document. “I’ve an opportunity to win the golf match. I do not know in the event that they’re all going to complete at this time, however I am accomplished. I received my two rounds in. Simply want some meals and a few caffeine, and I will be good to go.”
If it feels such as you’ve heard that sort of sentiment from Woods earlier than, it is as a result of you will have. On the few tournaments Woods tees it up lately, the query at all times comes in some unspecified time in the future: “Do you’re feeling like you possibly can win this match?”
Woods generally smiles, generally would not, however he at all times says some model of what he mentioned on Tuesday of this week.
“If all the pieces comes collectively,” Woods mentioned. “I believe I can get yet another.”
Name it cliché, delusion or just perception, Woods’ repetitiveness is just a manifestation of maybe his most dominant trait: He has by no means been glad.
It is what led him to win this match at 21 years previous, be essentially the most dominant golfer ever and win 15 majors — together with the one right here in 2019. And it is what’s led him right here at age 48 — with numerous surgical procedures and accidents on his resume — to nonetheless present up and play believing he cannot solely compete however win.
“I’ve at all times liked taking part in right here, I have been capable of play right here since I used to be 19 years previous,” Woods mentioned. “It is one of many honors I do not take frivolously, having the ability to compete.”
On Friday, Woods was dealing with a difficult battle, however, regardless of loads of ups and downs, compete he did. Woods began the day 1-over par and completed the day 1-over par. His rating underlined the truth that Woods is at present dwelling. After 94 pictures in in the future, he was again the place he began. That in itself was a victory.
“I am drained. I have been out for some time, competing, grinding,” Woods mentioned. “It has been a protracted 23 holes, a protracted day. However Lance and I actually did some good combating at this time, and we have got an opportunity.”
For the second day in a row, Woods hit 11 of 14 fairways. It did not at all times matter. The 14th gap — which he performed twice Thursday — haunted him. His shot within the early morning was chunked in need of the inexperienced and the one within the afternoon was pulled lengthy. Each resulted in bogeys.
And but there was at all times a bounce again looming. He adopted up back-to-back-bogeys on the fourth and fifth holes with a birdie on the sixth. And after one other bogey on the seventh gap, he birdied the eighth.
His most necessary fairway got here within the afternoon on the long-lasting fifteenth gap, the place reminiscences of previous championships have usually concerned a red-clad Woods. On Friday, he was sporting a extra muted colour of his new clothes model on his chest signaling a brand new period of kinds however the identical, aggressive, dissatisfied Tiger beneath.
With what felt like a two-club wind blowing into his face, Woods did not hesitate, nor did he take into consideration what might occur if he landed within the water — solely two pictures off the reduce line. From 258 yards out, he pulled out a fairway wooden and compressed the ball so cleanly it made the patrons gasp. These close to the inexperienced noticed the ultimate product: A excessive ball flight that pitched in the midst of the inexperienced, solely rolled out a few ft and stopped pin excessive.
The shot did not simply really feel like classic Tiger. It was classic Tiger. He did not play it protected and it paid off. He might have been exhausted however he was nonetheless not glad.
After solely taking part in 23 holes of aggressive golf this calendar 12 months, Woods’ sport carried loads of rust. Some strategy pictures weren’t as sharp. However, although his placing failed him at instances, when he wanted to stand up and down across the inexperienced, Woods’ fingers got here alive.
“Quite a lot of these chip pictures I used to be capable of get up-and-down as a result of I left it within the good spot,” Woods mentioned. “And that is understanding the right way to play this golf course.”
Woods’ sheer expertise and expertise is nowhere close to as priceless elsewhere as it’s right here. The bodily toll on his physique, the quantity of metal in his 6-foot-1 body, his age — they’re all obstacles he might both succumb to or settle for and attempt to overcome.
Regardless of not taking part in many tournaments, Woods has continued to do the latter. Whether or not you are taking a broad view of his profession since that seemingly unimaginable win in 2019 5 years in the past otherwise you look intently, Woods’ relentlessness is obvious, and his battle is palpable.
All through the day Friday, Woods handled each shot with the burden it required.
At the same time as each of his taking part in companions had completed on 18, Woods stood over his five-foot par putt with nice care. He had all however assured himself a made reduce, however he did not wish to lose one other shot. The gusts of winds whipped the sand from the bunkers into his face, forcing him to again off and reset. He then stepped up and made it. A standing ovation ensued.
“As if you happen to wanted one other document, Tiger!” one patron yelled out among the many crowd. “As if you happen to wanted one other one!”
Friday was one more reminder. Woods would not want any of this; he merely desires it.
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