| I haven’t always wanted Tiger Woods to win. Scratch that, there have been times when I was happy enough to see him lose. Not through spite or for any good reason at all, certainly not because of anything personal – because I don’t know him. But there were times, during Woods’ extraordinary heyday that revolutionized golf forever, when it was easier to root for someone else. For while it was never anything short of incredible to see Woods doing his thing and dominating golf’s most devilish golf courses and finest players, occasionally it was human nature to want another player to have their moment in the sun, to see a fresh contender prevail. Not anymore. This current version of Tiger Woods, the greatest golfer who ever lived, is darn near impossible not to cheer for. This is the human version, the flawed version, the one where every ache and pain is etched on his face and visible in his gait, and where he feels every single bit of 46 years old, yet decided to turn up at the Masters – yes, here of all places – anyway. During a mixed but ultimately highly satisfying round on Thursday that transfixed both Augusta National and a global audience, Woods was as fascinating as he has ever been. There were bits of everything, every part of his game, each segment of his history. Woods ended at 1-under and had 13 pars, but this was anything but ordinary. Every now and then, Woods would look like his early-20s self, conjuring the spectacular, using physical force and mental dexterity to squeeze his way out of trouble or put himself in attack mode. And then it would revert to reality, the intermittent inconsistency, some tee shots where his body let him down, resembling the balance of a man who was in a serious and scary car accident 14 months ago and who had searing back and knee problems long before that. There were two Tigers playing in the Georgia sun. There was the guy the clock turned back for on occasion, when it all went smoothly. Like with a gorgeous tee shot on the par-3 seventh that required only a tap-in birdie. Or on 13, the first of his typically favored par 5s that he played in true Tiger-esque fashion. Or on 16, of course 16, where a clutch long putt took him under par. Then there was the guy struggling his way around, feeling the pinch of nearly five hours out on the course in what was his first competitive action since late 2020. The Augusta crowd was all-in for both of them. The patrons screamed for his trio of birdies, got full-throated for his collection of impressive par saves, and felt for him after the pair of bogeys that he refused to let derail him. His day had begun with a larger assemblance of humanity witnessing his practice session than for any other group treading the actual course during the day. By the time he wandered from the clubhouse to the first tee and the throng parted, it was 40 deep. Everyone wanted to see this. Solid and steady was the order of the day on the opening holes, parring his way through the opening five, a tricky collection that offered no one much scope for fireworks. Clad in pink, Woods uncorked his first birdie on the sixth hole. He probably wanted to play within himself but when he did unload on a handful of thundering drives, it was something to behold. He no longer has quite the same explosiveness off the tee, yet it is still one heck of a swing, filled with force and style. Woods these days is still a physical specimen but a complicated one. Stiffness befalls him – and when the pace of play slowed around the turn, so too, temporarily, did his round. Thursday rounds aren’t usually like this, dramatic and involved. If you were watching the broadcast and felt yourself trying to will the ball into the hole at times, you were not alone. Ultimately, it was a job well done. Woods kept himself in contention and didn’t play his way out of the Masters like so many do on the opening day each year. Leader Cam Smith dropping a couple of late shots to slip to 4-under gave the chasing pack added incentive. With Woods, sometimes the shot-making was so detailed, the tension so present, that you took your eye off the story. The reason Woods has all this support is not just for what he has achieved, but because of what it took to get here. Woods has battled demons. Infidelity led to the breakup of his marriage and public disgrace, and his car accident led most to believe he would never swing a club in a competitive setting again. Yet here he was, getting out there, showing he could still compete at a level beyond the comprehension of most. Trying to generate a mind-blowing triumph because he knows no other way, perhaps not even realizing that by simply being here, he’s already won. |
