Tiger Woods had 52 minutes between Masters rounds. Here’s everything he did

Tiger Woods had loads of prep time between his final aggressive spherical on the PGA Tour, on the Genesis Invitational, in February, and his first spherical on the 88th Masters this week — 55 days, to be precise. The identical couldn’t be stated of the time Woods had between his first Masters spherical and his second.

As a result of inclement climate delayed the beginning of the opening spherical, Woods’ Thursday tee time was pushed to three:54 p.m., which means he and his enjoying companions — Max Homa and Jason Day — had been capable of full solely 13 holes earlier than darkness set in. They resumed their first spherical at 7:50 a.m. Friday in cool, blustery circumstances and performed their remaining 5 holes in 1 hours and 36 minutes. When Woods tapped in for a bogey 5 on 18 at 9:26 a.m., he had a one-over 73 on his card and precisely 52 minutes to prepared himself for his second spherical.       

Having lower than an hour between rounds won’t sound like an enormous deal; maybe you do it frequently at your membership, or in your annual 36-holes-a-day buddies’ journey. However you probably haven’t had 5 microdisectomies in your again…and a number of knee surgical procedures…and screws and pins in your proper ankle…and a subtalar fusion in that very same ankle to handle post-traumatic arthritis and…effectively, your fast turnaround most definitely has by no means come on a Masters Friday at Augusta Nationwide. Woods, in the meantime? He’s half golfer, half medical miracle. It’s outstanding he’s navigating this course, not to mention making birdies on it. He all however creaks when he walks and squeaks when he swings, which explains why he rises at 4:30 a.m. to prime his physique for morning tee instances.

So, how would a participant who’s accustomed to spending hours, days and even weeks readying for a spherical make use of much less prep time than it takes to roast a small hen?

That is how.

After cleansing up his bogey on 18, Woods eliminated his cap and shook fingers along with his enjoying companions and their caddies. He exited the again of the inexperienced and made his manner by way of a channel of patrons, seven or eight deep, a few of whom who had been calling his identify. Inside a minute or two, Woods had traversed the rolling expanse between the house gap and the clubhouse and ducked into scoring. At 9:35, he emerged, card checked and signed, along with his agent, Mark Steinberg, at his aspect. A gaggle of reporters milled in an interview pen, hopeful that Woods would possibly provide just a few phrases. He didn’t. As an alternative, he stayed on the transfer and disappeared down the walkway good of scoring.     

By 9:41, Woods was on the far left aspect of the practically abandoned apply vary along with his new caddie, Lance Bennett, and righthand man, Rob McNamara. Job No. 1: transferring the second-round pin places to their yardage books, a process that required practically six minutes of paper-flipping and note-scribbling. Subsequent to the bottom of Woods’ bag was a water bottle and a plastic container holding a snack.

At 9:44, Woods loosened his belt and unbuttoned his pants, revealing a supportive patch that was hooked up to his decrease again. He rubbed what Icy Scorching, a topical ache reliever, over his midriff and the world round his decrease backbone, as if he had been making use of lotion on the seashore. When Woods had completed, Bennett cleansed Woods’ fingers with water.

Woods pulled a wedge from his bag. It was now 9:47, 31 minutes from his beginning time. A stiff wind straight into his face, Woods hit 5 balls to a mini-flag not more than 40 yards from him, then two extra to a flag at 60 or 70 yards. Along with his eighth swing, similar wedge in hand, Woods started taking purpose at a inexperienced 75 yards away. After three extra swings, he paused to stretch his again.

His wedge work finished, Woods leaned towards his bag and unsheathed what seemed to be an 8- or 9-iron and hit 10 balls into the sprawling emerald expanse. Earlier than Woods’ eleventh swing, McNamara saddled as much as him and hovered the butt of an iron close to the low level in Woods’ swing path. With this swing information in place, Woods took six extra swipes.

By 9:50, the vary was filling. Erik van Rooyen strolled previous Woods. So did Cameron Younger and Augusta Nationwide member and PGA Tour dealmaker Jimmy Dunne, resplendent in his inexperienced jacket. However Woods had little time for apply not to mention small discuss. Six spots down from Woods, one in every of his enjoying companions, Homa, was now getting unfastened.

Woods took a one minute break earlier than resuming with a mid-iron. Two swings. Then a fairway wooden. Two extra swings. Then off got here his fabled tiger head cowl. Driver. 4 swings. Bennett was now grazing on a fried hen sandwich.

At 9:58 — 20 minutes from go-time — Woods took one last swing, this time with a wedge. Two minutes later, he had exited the vary and was at the back of a golf cart, McNamara to his proper, Bennett driving shotgun. Subsequent cease: the apply inexperienced by the primary tee.

By the point this reporter caught up with Woods, he was rapping uphill 40-footers throughout the center of the inexperienced. A mass of patrons swarmed across the placing floor and adjoining first tee, looking forward to a glimpse of the five-time inexperienced jacket winner. Woods’ lengthy putts had been adopted by a few shorter makes an attempt earlier than which he raised his ball to his eye then let it drop to the inexperienced, an train designed to assist him get his eyes squarely over the ball. At 10:13, Woods, Homa and Day strolled onto the tee. ESPN’s Scott Van Pelt was among the many throng of patrons, craning his neck for a view. So, too, was the previous NBA star-turned-college golfer J.R. Smith.

Woods took 4 apply swings along with his driver, paused, then took seven extra. He bent over and stretched his again, then took 5 extra rehearsal swings. Keep unfastened. Keep unfastened. Keep unfastened.

At 10:17, a green-coated official barked: “Fore, please. Now driving…Tiger Woods.”

Woods took 5 extra apply swings.

After which it was time.

Smack. Liftoff.

A slight tug however nothing to sweat. Woods’ ball discovered the left aspect of the green. His second spherical was formally underway.

Alan Bastable

Golf.com Editor

As GOLF.com’s government editor, Bastable is answerable for the editorial route and voice of one of many sport’s most revered and extremely trafficked information and repair websites. He wears many hats — enhancing, writing, ideating, creating, daydreaming of someday breaking 80 — and feels privileged to work with such an insanely gifted and hardworking group of writers, editors and producers. Earlier than grabbing the reins at GOLF.com, he was the options editor at GOLF Journal. A graduate of the College of Richmond and the Columbia College of Journalism, he lives in New Jersey along with his spouse and foursome of children.