Tiger Woods withdraws from Augusta Masters due to injury

Tiger Woods has withdrawn from the Augusta Masters due to injury after completing seven holes of his third round, the five-time Masters champion said.

Woods, who was the last of 54 players to make the cut, was limping down the 17th fairway on six over par through seven holes when play was called off on Saturday due to bad weather in Augusta, Georgia.

The 47-year-old American, who most recently won the Masters in 2019, has struggled since a car crash in 2021 in which he sustained multiple leg injuries that required major surgery.

“I am disappointed to have to WD [withdraw] this morning due to reaggravating my plantar fasciitis,” Woods said on Twitter on Sunday.

“Thank you to the fans and to The Masters who have shown me so much love and support. Good luck to the players today!”

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!

— Tiger Woods (@TigerWoods) April 9, 2023

Plantar fasciitis is tissue inflation that causes pain in the heel.

At Augusta, he squeaked inside the cut to tie with Gary Player and Fred Couples for the most consecutive times playing the weekend at the Masters (23).

But in unforgiving conditions on a cold Saturday with heavy rain falling, Woods was visibly limping and made back-to-back double bogeys.

The 15-times major champion has made only one competitive appearance this season and said this week that he does not play many tournaments any more as he is “limited” in what he can do.

Last year, in his second start after the crash, Woods withdrew from the PGA Championship after carding one of his worst rounds at a major tournament – a nine-over-par 79.

American Brooks Koepka leads Spaniard Jon Rahm by four shots with the third round of the Masters yet to be completed.