The American golfer Tiger Woods, five times winner of the Augusta Masters, withdrew this Sunday due to injury shortly before the decisive day of this emblematic Grand Slam tournament began.
“I’m disappointed to have to withdraw this morning due to a re-aggravation of my plantar fasciitis,” the star tweeted shortly after organizers advanced their decision.
“Thank you to the fans and the Masters who have shown me so much love and support. Good luck to the players today!” he added.
Woods, who faced a marathon 29-hole round to conclude the Masters on Sunday, was unable to participate in the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas in November due to plantar fasciitis in his right foot.
The Californian, who is racing through the aftermath of his 2021 car accident, only participates in Grand Slam tournaments and a few other one-off events due to his physical limitations.
Before the start of the Masters, he had recognized that it could be one of his last participations in a scenario where he won five of his 15 Grand Slam titles.
“I don’t know how many more I have left,” he admitted Tuesday. “So I just have to be able to appreciate the time I have here and treasure the memories.”
Woods, 47, has not fully recovered from the severe injuries to his right leg he suffered in the 2021 accident, for which he had to undergo surgery several times.
In 2022 he returned to the circuit, precisely in the Masters, where he managed to complete the 72 holes, considering it a personal victory.
On Saturday, competing against rain and wind, the star agonizingly avoided elimination and made the cut for the 23rd straight time at the Masters, equaling the record shared by South African Gary Player and American Fred Couples.
At the start of the third round, however, he chained two bogeys and two double-bogeys that sank him to 54th place, last among the players still in contention, with a cumulative +9.
Due to the early suspension of Saturday’s day due to rain, golfers still must complete the third round at Augusta National Golf Club (Georgia) on Sunday morning before kicking off the fourth and final around noon.