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Tiger Woods comes back, but not enough to win

Fred Jeter | 4/14/2022, 6 p.m.
Tiger Woods showed stamina and power in his spirited golfing comeback, but his accuracy be- trayed him at the Masters ...
Tiger Woods AP Photo

Tiger Woods showed stamina and power in his spirited golfing comeback, but his accuracy betrayed him at the Masters Tournament in Augusta, Ga.

In his first official tournament since suffering serious leg injuries on Feb. 23, 2021, Tiger shot a 13- was far out of contention. over par 301 (71, 74, 78, 78) and Scottie Scheffler claimed the coveted Green Jacket with a 10 under.

On the plus side, Tiger was able to negotiate the hilly Augusta National course with little problem and was his same old long-hitting self off the tee.

For example, he flexed his muscles on the second hole in Sunday’s fourth round with a 335-yard missile of a drive, much to the delight of the huge gallery that followed the full four days.

His putting was his downfall throughout, with numerous three-putt greens and even a four-putt in Saturday’s round.

“I felt like I putted a million times,” he told the media after Saturday’s round.

Tiger will be back on the practice range soon. He announced he will play in the British Open in July and may enter the May 19-22 PGA in Tulsa, Okla.

Despite signs he is on the road to recovery, the odds of Tiger catching Jack Nicklaus for the number of career major titles dims. Nicklaus won 18 majors between 1962 and 1986. Woods’ 15 majors came between 1997 and 2019.

Tiger won the Masters in 1997, 2001, 2002, 2005 and 2019; the PGA in 1999, 2000, 2006 and 2007; the U.S. Open in 2000, 2002 and 2008; and the British Open in 2000, 2005 and 2006.