Tiger Woods didn't make much of a move on moving day, at least in the right direction, at the 86th Masters on Saturday.
Woods, who entered the third round 9 shots behind leader Scottie Scheffler and 4 strokes out of second place, couldn't get much momentum going in cold and windy conditions and finished 6-over 78. He finished the round with three bogeys and a double-bogey.
His previous worst score at Augusta National was a 5-over 77 in the third round of 1995, his debut at the Masters as an amateur.
While Woods seemed to have more speed and power with his driver on Saturday, he had four three-putts and a rare four-putt. In his first three rounds, he hit 11 of 14 fairways and 11 of 18 greens.
Woods said it was like hitting a thousand putts on the greens. You take those away and I have two normal putts. I did what I needed to do on the greens, but I did it differently on the ball.
In the third round of 1999, Woods had 36 putts, which was his most in a round here. It was the first time in his career that Woods had five holes with three putts or more.
Woods said he couldn't find a feel for the ball. Trying different things, trying to find it, trying to get something, taking practice strokes, trying to get anything, and nothing seemed to work.
Woods said the cold temperatures on Saturday affected his back. Before his car wreck, he had a procedure to relieve nerve pain in his back. He had a surgery in April of last year.
Woods said it was not as limber and as loose as it normally is.
Kevin Kisner, who played with Woods on Saturday for the first time in their careers, said it was difficult for him to move and hit the ball.
Kisner did not ask him much about his leg. I think his leg is hurting. I hope he can get back out here and play a few more events with us because I am hurting and I am healthy.
After being seriously injured in a car wreck outside Los Angeles in February of 2021, Tiger Woods was not able to play in the Masters. He has made the cut in each of his past 22 starts at the Masters, the third-longest streak by any player in the tournament's history.
Woods bogeyed the first for the second straight round. He scored on the par-5 second. He made a 4-footer for a par after his chip out of the greenside Bunker nearly went in the hole for an eagle.
Things fell apart quickly on the par-4 fifth after carding pars on Nos. 3 and 4. After hitting a 304-yard drive down the middle, Woods was left with 202 yards to the hole. As soon as Woods hit his approach shot, he grimaced and yelled, "damn it!" His ball was short and way right of the green, leaving him 65 feet to the hole.
Woods knocked his long putt above the hole and was left with a tricky, downhill putt. He missed the 6-footer and then rushed the 4-foot comeback attempt, but it didn't work out. He was 3 over for the tournament after the double-bogey 6.
It was the second four-putt for Woods as a pro at the Masters, the other being on the 13th hole in the opening round in 2005. His last four-putt was at the U.S. Open.
Even though he doesn't have a sixth green jacket, Woods will be back on the course on Sunday.
Don't give up. Woods said to always chase after your dreams. Every day is a challenge. Each day has its own challenges for all of us. I wake up and start fighting again.
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