AUGUSTA, Ga. — Tiger Woods’s last day of preparation for the 2022 Masters was typical of the laid-back vibe on the eve of the match, when the aim is to play a bit of golf, however not an excessive amount of — simply sufficient to remain free for Thursday’s first spherical.
With that in thoughts, Woods performed 9 holes together with his most popular follow companions, his Florida neighbor Justin Thomas, whom Woods considers a bit of brother, and Fred {Couples}, who has at occasions has served as one thing of an enormous brother to Woods.
Befitting the ambiance, the group smiled commonly thorough the spherical, though {Couples}, 62, the 1992 Masters champion, observed a slight change in Woods’s demeanor since taking part in follow rounds with him earlier within the week.
“He was a bit of extra severe; he’s on the brink of roll,” {Couples} mentioned. “The primary follow spherical I performed with him on Monday we had each flown in that day and we have been laughing rather a lot. He was lighter. At the moment, he and Justin have been fairly severe. They’re preparing.”
Followers lining the holes that the Woods group performed Wednesday alternatively cheered Woods, the five-time Masters champion, on the tees and within the fairways and remained quiet as they virtually reverentially watched him follow his placing from totally different spots on every inexperienced.
{Couples} mentioned Woods, who had a extra pronounced limp on Wednesday than on any of the opposite days he practiced at Augusta Nationwide, gave the impression to be swinging the membership higher than some other day this week. Woods’s surgically rebuilt proper leg, nonetheless, is clearly inflicting him some ache.
“The ache is there, however he’s handled that earlier than,” {Couples} mentioned. “By way of his swing, I feel he’s a bit of sharper, a bit of higher.”
{Couples} added that he continues to be mesmerized that Woods is again on the Masters so rapidly after his horrific automotive crash on Feb. 23, 2021.
“It’s a miraculous factor, I imply, 14 months in the past I’m bawling like a child daily anxious about him,” he mentioned. “And now you’re paired with him and he seems sturdy. He’s hitting it loads far sufficient to play this course, and he performs this course so nicely. He is aware of what to do right here. I feel it’s wonderful for him to be out right here.”
