Tiger Woods’s Love for the Masters Propels Him Through Rain and Pain to Get Two More Rounds

The five-time champion won’t win the tournament but making a record-tying 23rd cut is another victory, but consequential nonetheless.

AUGUSTA, Ga.—The conditions were miserable Saturday morning and got progressively worse as time passed. Tiger Woods slogged along on the back nine of Augusta National, perhaps one of his most cherished places, despite the unappealing circumstances.

Bogeys on the last two holes seemingly doomed his fate to a first missed cut as a pro at the Masters, but the weather being so poor, others such as his buddy Justin Thomas also struggled coming in, meaning Woods would survive to the weekend.

“Well, I already made it to the weekend,’’ Woods deadpanned in the rain afterward.

His point was that he wanted two more rounds—two rounds that he will get.

Of course, Woods wants to play on. That is the epitome of his being. The man has shown throughout the course of his Hall of Fame career that he does not quit. He didn’t win 15 majors and 82 PGA Tour events by giving up. And there’s that record 142 consecutive cuts made on the PGA Tour as the ultimate in perseverance.

There are numerous other examples, perhaps highlighted best by his comeback from spinal fusion surgery in 2017 that led to a Masters victory and a fifth green jacket in ’19. Or perhaps when he played on a stress fracture and torn ACL on his way to the 2008 U.S. Open.

Even his comeback at the Masters last year, just one year after the car crash that could have taken his right leg, was impressive for reasons beyond winning golf tournaments.

And here he is today still dealing with the issues associated with his damaged foot and ankle, trying to play golf in 50-degree weather on a rain-soaked golf course that could be the most strenuous walk in the game.

As it played out, Woods ended up making a Masters cut for a 23rd consecutive year, tying a record held by Fred Couples and Gary Player and not the kind of record that ultimately Woods cares much about. For him, it’s about winning. But this was a victory nonetheless.

“I’ve always loved this golf course, and I love playing this event,’’ Woods said, when he was unaware of his fate. “Obviously, I’ve missed a couple with some injuries. But I’ve always wanted to play here. I’ve loved it.

“I hope I get a chance to play this weekend. I’m sorry. I got a chance to play on the weekend. I wish I get a chance to play two more rounds.’’

He does.

Heat is Tiger’s friend, and it is 30 degrees different from the Thursday-Friday temperatures, when Woods could sweat profusely through his rounds and not be bothered by it.

Now the temperature is in the low 50s and feels colder, the wind gusts at times, and the rain is steady.

To give you an idea: Both Thomas and John Rham needed to hit fairway woods into the 18th hole, their drives leaving them more than 220 yards. Both bogeyed, and so did Woods, which should really not be a surprise.

It is unfortunate that Woods has had to deal with poor weather or cold temperatures a good bit in his limited golf.

Last year the Masters brought brutally cold and windy temperatures. After amazingly making the cut, Woods shot his worst scores at the tournament—a pair of 78s.

He grinded to make the cut at Southern Hills for the PGA Championship, then was faced with another cold Saturday and withdrew after the round with complications due to his injuries.

Who’d have guessed the conditions would be the best at St Andrews, where Woods seemed to have the most preparation but still struggled, missing the cut. Even earlier this year at Riviera, Woods faced cold mornings—he played in 40-degree weather during the Wednesday pro-am—which certainly did not help.

That he made the cut on the number, shot a 67 Saturday and went on to tie for 45th at the Genesis Invitational was more victory than it was disappointment.

Now he has two more rounds at Augusta National, and one way or the other, it is going to be a huge challenge. And getting it all in Saturday means playing in horrific conditions. If the tournament gets delayed until Sunday, that means a lot of holes in one day, certainly less than ideal.

But Woods has made it through another cut at the Masters. The last time he missed, he was a sophomore at Stanford in 1996. It was Woods’ second Masters as an amateur. Doug Ford, who was born in ’22, played in that Masters.

Woods began his record-tying streak a year later, winning the Masters by 12 and changing the golf landscape forever.

That win was monumental. Saturday’s victory was considerably smaller, but consequential nonetheless.