Tiger Woods ends disappointing Masters at 16 out of 304

AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) — Tiger Woods finished the Masters Sunday with a record he could live without, coming off the course with a 16-over 304, his highest 72-hole score in a spanning career over three decades.

Woods’ previous high was 302 at the Memorial in 2015, following a career-worst score of 85 in the third round. He’s only managed to top 300 one other time at the Masters, and that was two years ago, when he shot 78-78 over the weekend and finished at 301.

All this hardly mattered to the public.

Woods, 48, who is still suffering the effects of numerous surgeries that have affected his body and limited his playing time on the PGA Tour, received a huge roar from the crowd as he pitched near the hole of number 1. 18 and reaches par.

Dressed in his traditional Sunday red, Woods tipped his hat to the crowd.

Woods was in last place among the 60 players who managed to qualify when he finished. The last time he finished in last place was at the 2020 Genesis Invitational in Riviera.

Patrons have flocked to see the man who took golf’s popularity to new heights, even though he is no longer the dominant player he once was at Augusta National.

Woods hasn’t really been competitive here since 2020, when he finished tied for 38th a year after his stunning fifth victory at age 43.

He finished 13th two years ago, then was forced to withdraw in 2023 in the third round due to injuries that were not helped by the cold, rainy weather that had taken a toll on his body.

For a short time this week, Woods gave a glimpse into the past.

He played the first two rounds in 1 to qualify for a record 24th time. But the last two rounds have been difficult for Woods, who had his worst round of his career at a major tournament with a score of 82 on Saturday.

He played the final 36 holes in 15, shooting 77 on Sunday in his 100th career round at the Masters.

Before the round, Woods appeared to receive some swing tips from his son Charlie, 15, on the practice range.

Things started out pretty well, but it didn’t last long.

After playing the first two holes in 1 under, Woods made bogey on No. 3 before things started to unravel on the par-4 fifth hole when he took an unplayable lie and had to be escorted back to the tee -box in a golf cart to get there. hit again. He ended up with a triple-bogey 7.

He added another bogey on the 6th.

He nearly came out of the sand on No. 16, giving fans chills and bringing back fond memories of his iconic chip in 2005 en route to the fourth of his five championships at Augusta.

The once-dominant Woods played with Neal Shipley, the only amateur to qualify for the Masters.

The age difference between the two was notable.

Woods’ streak of cuts at the Masters began in 1997, before the 23-year-old Shipley was born.

Even though Woods is no longer in contention, he still draws the usual crowds of fans eager to get a glimpse of the player who became the face of the sport. Fans applaud after every Woods shot – good or bad – and continue to shout encouragement for him.