Tiger Woods walked to the first tee for the third round of the Masters needing a big day to make a run at 36-hole leader Scottie Scheffler. The conditions were not going to allow that.
The cold, blustery conditions -- the high temperature never made it to 60 -- were not conducive to a 46-year-old man recovering from serious right leg injuries suffered in last year's car crash, never mind all the back and neck and knee surgeries that came before that.
Woods limped his way to a 6-over 78, his worst in 93 rounds at Augusta National. Here's how it went down:
Saturday setup
The weather is cold, with highs not reaching 60. The wind is expected to pick up. A lot of things can happen on a Saturday at the Masters.
Hole locations for Masters Saturday. #themasters pic.twitter.com/CEHZGXuziK
— The Masters (@TheMasters) April 9, 2022
No. 1: Par 4, 445 yards
The first hole got Woods again. He bogeyed the first hole on Friday. He did it again Saturday. This one made him 18 over on the opening hole at Augusta National during his career. He was done in this time by a 3-putt.
Score: Bogey
Total for the day: 1 over
Total for the tournament: 2 over
No. 2: Par 5, 575 yards
Woods pummeled a driver off the tee. By the time it got done rolling it went 365 yards, about 30 past playing-partner Kevin Kisner. After dumping his second shot into the front bunker, Woods nearly holed out for eagle. Instead, he knocked in a 3-footer for birdie to erase the bogey at the first. It was his first birdie of the week at the second, which is playing as the easiest hole on the property.
How to play hole No. 2, as displayed by Tiger Woods. #themasters pic.twitter.com/UnQ2PBvrxl
— The Masters (@TheMasters) April 9, 2022
Score: Birdie
Total for the day: Even
Total for the tournament: 1 over
No. 3: Par 4, 350 yards
A good break off the tee made life a little easier for Woods. The ball skirted away from the fairway bunker and gave him a clean lie and good angle to the back-right hole location. Woods made an easy par as he finds a rhythm to his round.
Score: Par
Total for the day: Even
Total for the tournament: 1 over
No. 4: Par 3: 240 yards
It isn't often a professional takes a wood out on a par 3. Augusta National's fourth hole is playing 240 yards, into a stiff wind, on a cold day. Woods pulled a 5-wood; Kisner grabbed a 3-wood. Woods missed way left, but was able to scramble after a perfect pitch over the bunker.
Score: Par
Total for the day: Even
Total for the tournament: 1 over
No. 5: Par 4, 495 yards
Woods split the fairway with a 302-yard drive at the fifth, which has long been his nemesis. But he hated the second shot, muttering as soon as the ball left the club face. No four-letter words, but it was clear he wasn't happy with a shot that settled on the front of the green, 65 feet from hole. Things only got worse. He ran the first putt 7 feet past. He missed the next one. And then, inexplicably, missed from 2 feet for a 4-putt double bogey.
Tiger Woods' four-putt at No. 5 was his second career four-putt at the Masters Tournament and 15th of his PGA TOUR career.
— PGA TOUR Communications (@PGATOURComms) April 9, 2022
First at the Masters: No. 13, 2005 (R1)#theMasters
Score: Double bogey
Total for the day: 2 over
Total for the tournament: 3 over
No. 6: Par 3, 180 yards
The tee shot was headed right at the front-left hole location. Woods watched it closely the entire way, until it plunged into the bunker short of the green. He took a few steps forward and made a motion as if he was going to break the club over his knee. Given it was the right leg, which was the one significantly injured in last year's single-car crash, it was pretty obvious he wasn't going to go through with it. But it signified his mood on this Saturday had changed after what happened at the fifth. Then, of course, he almost holed out the bunker shot.
Score: Par
Total for the day: 2 over
Total for the tournament: 3 over
No. 7: Par 4, 450 yards
Woods has the driver figured out. The rest of his game ... well, not so much. Woods pounded a 323-yard drive, leaving just 126 yards. Woods not only didn't even hit the green but also failed to reach the front bunker with a wedge in his hands. As he walked up the hill, his limp appeared to be getting worse. The cold and wind cannot be good for a body that has gone through a lot. Still, he pulled off quite the flop shot to save par.
All shots required at Augusta National. #themasters pic.twitter.com/Lh42Nknlg9
— The Masters (@TheMasters) April 9, 2022
Score: Par
Total for the day: 2 over
Total for the tournament: 3 over
No. 8: Par 5, 570 yards
Driver into the fairway bunker made the eighth hole a little less gettable. Forced to lay up on his second shot, Woods couldn't get it close from 146 yards to give himself a reasonable birdie look. Instead, he two-putted from 25 feet for a par.
Score: Par
Total for the day: 2 over
Total for the tournament: 3 over
No. 9: Par 4. 460 yards
A forgettable first nine for Woods ended with a three-putt bogey. He trudged off to the 10th tee after a 3-over 39 on the first nine. Not the start he hoped for given how much ground he had to make up.
First nine 39 for Tiger Woods.
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) April 9, 2022
He makes the turn T35. pic.twitter.com/s2qc2e19kE
Score: Par
Total for the day: 3 over
Total for the tournament: 4 over
No. 10: Par 4, 495 yards
Woods wasn't happy with his tee shot. That has been the theme of his day - not happy. But from where it came down -- short, right and away from the runaway that takes well-struck drives down the hill -- Woods safely hit the green and made his par.
Score: Par
Total for the day: 3 over
Total for the tournament: 4 over
No. 11: Par 4, 520 yards
Woods with a solid drive and a decent iron to the front edge of the 11th green. He carefully cozied up his birdie attempt for what should have been an easy par. It wasn't. He lipped out from 3 feet for another bogey. His general level of interest is not there. He seems intent on just getting through this round now.
Score: Bogey
Total for the day: 4 over
Total for the tournament: 5 over
No. 12: Par 3, 155 yards
Finally, Woods gave the patrons something to roar about. He stuffed his approach at the 12th, then rolled in a 10-footer. Back across Rae's Creek, the thousands camped out there stood. Woods acknowledged it by raising his arm.
Score: Birdie
Total for the day: 3 over
Total for the tournament: 4 over
No. 13: Par 5, 510 yards
Well, he won't give up. After a solid drive down the right side, Woods found the green with his second shot. He didn't give the eagle putt much of a shot, but he tapped in for a second consecutive birdie.
Back-to-back birdies for Tiger Woods on hole Nos. 12 and 13. #themasters pic.twitter.com/6F0LDlETfl
— The Masters (@TheMasters) April 9, 2022
Score: Birdie
Total for the day: 2 over
Total for the tournament: 3 over
No. 14: Par 4, 440 yards
Woods had to get creative at the 14th after his drive settled over by the trees up the left side. His low runner scooted through the green, but he hit a great pitch and converted the 4-footer for an impressive save.
Score: Par
Total for the day: 2 over
Total for the tournament: 3 over
No. 15: Par 5, 550 yards
Woods' drive left him too far back to give it a go in two. After the layup, he hit a perfectly controlled wedge to 15 feet. The birdie putt narrowly missed on the low side.
Score: Par
Total for the day: 2 over
Total for the tournament: 3 over
No. 16: Par 3, 170 yards
The putter that Woods relied on the first two days to stay in the mix disappeared on Saturday. He found the 16th green with his tee shot, but three putts later he walked with that familiar, annoyed look he has had a lot during this third round.
Score: Bogey
Total for the day: 3 over
Total for the tournament: 4 over
No. 17: Par 4, 440 yards
See if this sounds familiar: Woods' putter let him down. Another hole, another 3-putt, another bogey.
Score: Bogey
Total for the day: 4 over
Total for the tournament: 5 over
No. 18: Par 4, 465 yards
Woods' long day ended among the patrons. He blasted his second shot from the middle of the fairway over the green and into the sea of folding chairs positioned for hours to greet his arrival. A poor pitch, which ran 52 feet past the hole, led to one last 3-putt.
Score: Bogey
Total for the day: 6-over 78
Total for the tournament: 7 over