AUGUSTA | Tiger Woods gave a hug to his mother, Kultida, another to his daughter, Sam, and hugged his son, Charlie, under the Big Oak Tree, after his last round of the Masters Tournament yesterday. Then, he headed for the door of the Augusta National pavilion, struggling to walk.
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The great champion of 82 PGA professional titles, including 15 major tournaments, had just completed his great return to the game after his appalling accident in February 2021.
Over his 24e presence on the aisles of the Georgian club, he never dared to complain about his physical condition. Everything was under control.
He delivered a lesson in courage and perseverance to the “bosses” who followed and encouraged him, as well as to those who watched him from home.
He received a warm triumphant welcome on his arrival at 18e pennant.
Poignant scenes
But yesterday, as he exited the booth, he could not climb the four steps of the stairs without leaning on the ramp. And after his press briefing, the scene witnessed by a few scribes and curious patrons nearby was heartbreaking.
A few minutes earlier, he had hesitated to answer a question about his pain. He only reacted in a moment that said it all. A picture is worth a thousand words.
The following scenes earned millions. Through his participation in this Masters, the five-time green jacket champion has proven his unimaginable endurance.
In his opinion, this is one of his greatest lifetime achievements.
“Excluding a victory, it’s the biggest, without a doubt,” said the 46-year-old athlete, who has not been spared numerous injuries during his career.
“To have come all this way since my accident and to be able to play this tournament is incredible. I have an equally amazing team. The endorsement and support of my friends and peers on the circuit means a lot to me. »
A victory
Humble, the man also showed a lot of gratitude. Although he finished at 47e rank with a cumulative record of +13, he retains only the positive of this return.
“The only fact of playing, of performing at this level and of playing a good first round, was a victory. I managed to climb to the top of the board.
“I don’t have the physical stamina that I would like, but only a few weeks ago I didn’t even know if I was able to play this tournament,” he recalled.
Intense training sessions and tons of treatments helped him orchestrate this great comeback.
“It’s one thing to play for fun while chasing the ball with my son Charlie, it’s another to play for a major championship. It’s been a long road and I’m proud to have survived it. So many different things could have happened since that accident 14 months ago. This week, I was able to start the Masters. »
Why in Augusta?
But exactly, why did he want to come back to the game there?
For its meaning. Because this tournament is dear to him. Because that’s where all the great champions have played. Because they have all walked these mythical alleys.
“He means so much to my family and me. The year I was born [1975], Lee Elder was the first black man to compete in the Masters. He was one of three members at the formal kick-off ceremony last year. He was here in 1997 when I won. Twenty-five years later, I’m still here playing it, Woods replied.
“That means everything to me,” he added. There is no other place where you participate in a major tournament always on the same course. I also cherish St. Andrews because it’s the birthplace of golf and I’ve won there twice. »
After his press conference, the Tiger had difficulty descending from the small podium by about 10 inches. A publicist in a green jacket was kind enough to offer his help. He refused it.
Pure endurance. Until the very end.
It is not known if he will return to the game in the next few weeks. He has not confirmed his appearance at the PGA Championship of America in mid-May at Southern Hills, a course of more than 7,500 yards.
Woods will however be present at the 150e edition of the British Open, in St. Andrews, in July.
Augusta express
OUT OF STOCK
Yesterday morning was the golf day pre-meeting that awaits 28 members of the media at Augusta National today. We have listened to all the instructions to the letter, since we must not deviate from them. Among the instructions, it is impossible for us to use our cell phone on the course to take hundreds, even thousands of photos of this unique round. Right out of the meeting, a race began to find a device. Ten days after the start of the Masters program, it is anything but easy to find a maususif of kodak in the city. Bosses who thought they could go through the turnstiles with their cell phones robbed the shelves of all the department stores. Searches of branches of Walmart, Target, CVS and Co. were unsuccessful. Eventually, one of the Best Buys in the area had two devices in stock. My colleague from Toronto, Jon McCarthy, and I even took a short Masters quiz to get an extra discount for every correct answer. The tee shot is scheduled for 11:40 a.m. The rest, you will read on Tuesday!
RESIST THE INVADER
In the wake of the pandemic and real estate craze, the greater Augusta area is no different from other cities in America. Property prices have doubled over the past 18 months. The magazine Insider published a report following an article by the Wall Street Journal. The latter reported that, since 1999, the management of Augusta National has purchased more than a hundred properties neighboring the golf club, spending more than $200 million. The total area of his new properties exceeds 270 acres. But only one house still and always resists the invader. It is located a stone’s throw from the course. On Berckmans Road, at the corner of Washington Road, it has an area of 1900 square feet. Its value is estimated at $330,000. The ANGC submitted multiple offers above $1 million. The owners sold him another house which was located across the street for the modest sum of $1.2 million. The Thackers refuse to give up their little piece of paradise, because they raised their two children under this roof. Their five grandchildren and five great-grandchildren continue to visit them. No question of delivering it to demolition.
A FIRST SINCE 2005
It’s been a long time since a Canadian has achieved such a good result as Corey Conners’ sixth place finish at the Masters Tournament. We have to go back to 2005, when Mike Weir took the 5e rank, two years after his victory in overtime against Len Mattiace. Finishing with a -3 cumulative record, tied with one of the rising stars of the circuit, Will Zalatoris, Conners would have liked a strong start in order to follow the parade in front. The perfect weather conditions did not prevent the course from showing its teeth. But in his last five pennants, the Ontarian has made three birdies, including the last two holes. “All facets of my game worked this week. I would have liked to make more birdies, but I also managed to save good pars to keep up the pace. I hit the ball really well, explained the one who finished with a round of 70 (-2). On this course, the execution must be on point. I think my game fits the Augusta National well with my natural right-to-left trajectory. In summary, I did well from tees to greens. Indeed, the 30-year-old golfer hit 65.3% of the greens in prescribed strokes, which gives him the 9e rank. Although he would have liked to collect more, his harvest of 16 birdies puts him in 5e rank. He took advantage of 16 of his 47 chances. It’s a third top 10 in a row at Augusta. This gives him confidence for the rest of the season and his future appearances on the National.