Tiger Woods Withdraws From 2023 Masters With Injury

The five-time Masters champion was in last place at 9 over when play was suspended Saturday.

AUGUSTA, Ga. — Tiger Woods has withdrawn from the Masters due to injury, electing not to continue with the third round when it resumes Sunday morning at Augusta National Golf Club. 

Woods took to Twitter to share the news, noting that his plantar fasciitis had been reaggravated, an injury he first disclosed in November when he withdrew from the Hero World Challenge. 

“I am disappointed to have to WD this morning due to reaggravating my plantar fasciitis. thank you to the fans and to @TheMasters who have shown me so much love and support. Good luck to the players today!” Woods wrote.

Woods, 47, made the 36-hole cut despite bogeying the last two holes in horrific weather conditions on Saturday morning, tying the record of Gary Player and Fred Couples for 23 consecutive made cuts at the tournament.

The record dates to his 1997 Masters victory, the first of five wins at Augusta National. Woods was playing his 25th Masters and the only time he missed the cut was in 1996 as an amateur.

“I’ve always loved this golf course, and I love playing this event," Woods said Saturday morning when he was unsure if he would make the cut. “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 wish I get a chance to play two more rounds."

But it became clear that this was not going to go well. The rain kept coming and the temperatures dipped into the 40s. Starting on the back nine, Woods bogeyed the 10th hole and then the 14th.

At the par-5 15th, he spun his approach shot back into the water and made a double-bogey 7, just the third time in 96 Masters rounds that he made a double or worse on the hole.

At the par-3 16th, Woods hit a pulled tee shot that went into the water. He played from the drop area and ended up with a double-bogey 5, the first time he’d ever made worse than a 4 on the hole.

That left Woods 6 over par for his round. He’d have been facing 30 holes on Sunday if he were to finish the tournament.

Woods made a remarkable comeback a year ago at the Masters from multiple injuries suffered in a February 2021 car crash, making the cut and finishing 47th. He played just two more official events last year, withdrawing after the third round of the PGA Championship and missing the cut at the British Open.

This year, he made the cut at the Genesis Invitational and tied for 45th, his only other start before the Masters.

Woods has said his goal was to play “the four majors and maybe a couple more." The PGA Championship is in six weeks at Oak Hill Country Club in Rochester, N.Y.


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Bob Harig
BOB HARIG

Bob Harig is a senior writer covering golf for Sports Illustrated. He has more than 25 years experience on the beat, including 15 at ESPN. Harig is a regular guest on Sirius XM PGA Tour Radio and has written two books, "DRIVE: The Lasting Legacy of Tiger Woods" and "Tiger and Phil: Golf's Most Fascinating Rivalry." He graduated from Indiana University where he earned an Evans Scholarship, named in honor of the great amateur golfer Charles (Chick) Evans Jr. Harig, a former president of the Golf Writers Association of America, lives in Clearwater, Fla.