Evin Priest
His 24 consecutive cuts made from 1997 to 2024 โ he missed several to injury โ remains a Masters record. As Masters week officially teed off on Monday with practice rounds at Augusta, Australian Jason Day was among the many golf stars in the 93-player field who have been asked about 50-year-old Woods.
โIn regards to Tiger, it just shows the human element and the human side of someone that is struggling with some sort of an addiction,โ Day said on Monday afternoon, local time.
โHeโs not immune to it just because he can hit a golf ball really well. Heโs had [an estimate of] 25 to 30 something surgeries, and when youโre going through that many procedures, itโs painful coming out of those procedures. Iโve had procedures done, and I typically try and stay away from all that stuff because I just know that โ painkillers, there can potentially be a downfall to it.
โItโs unfortunate; the only thing that I donโt understand is that itโs a little bit selfish of him to drive and put other people in harmโs way, as well. But when youโre the player that he was and how strong-willed he is, he thinks he can do almost anything, and thatโs probably why heโs probably driving and a little bit under the influence.โ
Day, a fellow former world No.1, credits Woodsโ stratospheric influence over golf in the 1990s and 2000s for him taking up the game as a child growing up in Beaudesert, Queensland. Day taught himself the swing the club using Woodsโ How I Play instruction book.
Once Day cracked the PGA Tour in 2008, he befriended Woods and sought regular advice en route to winning his own major title โ the 2015 PGA Championship โ and 12 other PGA Tour victories.
Now 38, Day said it was difficult to watch the news unfold and noted how Masters competitors missed the winner of the 1997, 2001, 2002, 2005 and 2019 editions.
โHe was my hero growing up,โ Day said. โThe reason why I play golf is because of this tournament and Tiger. Itโs hard to see him go through what heโs going through, and especially under the microscope โ it must be hard to be who he is and have everything, everyone look on, kind of down on him.
โSome people want him to fail. Some people obviously want him to succeed. Itโs really difficult for me to go through that and watch him, and I know that heโs getting the help now, which is good. Iโm just hoping he comes out on the other side and is better because golf misses him. We miss him here this week.โ
Other Masters champions said 82-time PGA Tour winner Woods was on their minds at Augusta National. Two-time green jacket winner Bubba Watson organised other past Masters winners to stand around the 18th green to congratulate Woods in 2019.
โI told him from day one that we started hanging out back in [2006 or 2007], somewhere in there, that Iโm pulling for him as a human being,โ Watson said on Monday.
โI could care less about his golf; anybody thatโs struggling with anything, I feel for him because Iโve [gone] through a lot of mental stuff. So yeah, I always pull for him… Nothing but love for him, and hopefully, he can come back stronger.โ
Phil Mickelson, who won the 2004, 2006 and 2010 Masters, is also absent from the 90th edition this week. The left-hander, who plays on LIV Golf, announced last week he would be out for an extended period as his family deals with โa personal health matterโ.
There hasnโt been a Masters since 1994 that didnโt feature both Mickelson and Woods.
โLetโs be honest, without Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson in the events, in golf, when they both step away, honestly I feel it hurts the game of golf,โ said 2018 Masters winner Patrick Reed. โBut at the same time, we want them to come back and be healthy and ready to go.โ
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