What happened to Tiger Woods? Masters 2023 injury explored
Five-time Masters Champion Tiger Woods did not have a good day at the office after scoring 2-over 74 on Thursday (April 6) at the 2023 Masters. Fans could see him struggling at the Augusta National Golf Club.
So, the major question is what is wrong with the 15-time Major Champion? The answer is his 'right leg.' Woods got involved in a terrible car accident on February 23, 2021. After this, he had to go through multiple surgeries, and his leg was stabilized by inserting a rod.
Even his caddie Joe LaCava acknowledged that the car accident had hit Woods hard. According to LaCava, it didn't just affect him physically but also mentally:
"Obviously, it affected him physically, but I think it got to him mentally because he's grinding to block out the pain. I think that messes with you a little bit upstairs, and that's the first time I saw him trying so hard to block it out mentally."
Tiger Woods is paired with Viktor Hovland and Xander Schauffele. However, except Woods, both have had a pretty good start to the tournament. Where Woods stands on T-50 after round two, Hovland and Schauffele stand on T-2 and T-10 respectively.
Tiger Woods spoke about playing in 'constant' pain at the Masters 2023
After the first round of the Augusta Masters 2023, Woods, who is competing in his 25th Masters tournament, stated that he has not been fast enough because of the right leg having a rod. He said:
"I didn't have very good speed early. I had two three-putts, and consequently, in a couple over par. But I needed my irons close enough today, you know. I didn't give myself very good looks. Needed a better job of that going forward. Hopefully, (I'll) get myself back in this tournament."
Tiger Woods said that the hop on his left leg is fine, but the other leg is creating problems for him:
"Well, it's on my left leg, I'm good, you know, but hop on the left leg is fine. If I did on the other one, not so fun."
Tiger Woods came to the Masters after a two-month break from the last time he participated in the Genesis Invitational. He was pretty optimistic about the performance he would deliver at the Masters 2023. He even said that he has been pushing his body to the limits but the physical aspect of the game is challenging for him.
During the pre-tournament press conference, Woods was asked if other golfers competing for the green jacket still take him as a threat to win. He said:
"Whether I'm a threat to them or not, who knows. People probably didn't think I was a threat in 2019 either, but kind of turned out okay!"
Tiger Woods has already won five green jackets in his career. He is considered to be one of the most successful golfers in the modern era. Although he plans to compete at just major events in the coming years, it would not be surprising if he says 'goodbye' to the world of golf instead.