Tiger Makes His Move, Goes Low Saturday with 5-under 67 at Masters
Steve DiMeglio, author for Golfweek
AUGUSTA, Ga. – At the Champions Dinner two years ago, Tiger Woods told a few of his green-jacket sporting colleagues that he was done.
He told them he didn’t think golf “was in his near future, or even in my distant future.” What else was he to think, for he was bedridden for much of his time in those dark days, forced to take a nerve blocker to attend the special ceremony at Augusta National Golf Club in 2017.
But these are different times, and at 5:42 p.m. on the East coast Saturday, Woods was tied for the lead in the third round, setting up a Masters Sunday that should make Hollywood envious.
In a lavender mock turtleneck, Woods loudly moved to 11 under through 54 holes with a 5-under 67 and will play in the final group on the final day alongside Tony Finau and nemesis and 2018 British Open champion Francesco Molinari, who is two shots clear of his playing partners.
A stout collection of talent is lurking, including three-time major winner Brooks Koepka, major champions Dustin Johnson and Louis Oosthuizen and past Players champions Webb Simpson and Matt Kuchar.
But Woods, the biggest name of all, is in the mix again, and what seemed impossible two years ago is improbably possible. At 43 and in his 22nd Masters, after four surgeries to his back and four to his left knee, Woods has a bona fide chance to win a major again.
