In constant rain in Augusta, golf superstar Tiger Woods set a record at the US Masters: the 47-year-old Californian made the cut for the 23rd time in a row. Only South Africa’s golf legend Gary Player and Fred Couples from the United States had previously achieved this record. A day after the weather drama that saw three downed trees at Augusta National Golf Club, Woods qualified for the weekend’s crucial two rounds in torrential rain. The five-time Masters winner finished the second round, which had been canceled the day before due to storms, with 73 strokes on Saturday and was tied for 49th place with a total of 147 strokes at halftime in the first major tournament of the year.
The 15-time major champion showed his fighting qualities on Saturday in cool temperatures and constant rain. The consequences of the serious car accident in which he broke his right leg several times in February 2021 were also visible again in Augusta. The long walk across the hilly golf course caused a lot of problems for Woods. In 1997 he won his first major title at the Masters. In Augusta in 2019, after a long period of suffering with personal low points and injuries, he made one of the greatest comebacks in sports history with his fifth Masters victory.
Falling trees just miss viewers
The day after the freak weather, the greenkeepers had put the legendary golf course back in order. The scenes from Friday were very dramatic: As conditions worsened with storm and rain, three large pine trees fell near the 17th hole and just missed numerous spectators. As the organizers announced, there was no information about injuries. How close it was was shown by a few destroyed folding and camping chairs, on which golf fans romp in droves along the beautifully situated holes at the Augusta National Golf Club and follow the action.
When the accident happened, Germany’s golf legend Bernhard Langer had already completed his second round and was in the clubhouse. However, the 65-year-old from Anhausen missed the cut at his 40th Masters start. The Masters winner from 1985 and 1993 was eliminated, as was Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy, one of the top favorites for the title.
Brooks Koepka presented himself in excellent form. The American, who earns his money on the heavily criticized LIV tour financed by Saudi Arabia, was two shots ahead of Spaniard Jon Rahm (134) at halftime in the traditional tournament in the US state of Georgia with a total of 132 shots. Surprisingly, Sam Bennett (136) took third place. The 23-year-old is the American amateur champion and after 36 holes he hasn’t been an amateur since 1956.