Tiger Woods carried out nicely in an early Monday follow spherical for the 88th Masters as not even an eclipse may cease golf’s prime stars from shining at Augusta Nationwide.
Woods, making a comeback after proper ankle surgical procedure final April, went out with Will Zalatoris in a morning foray onto the again 9 alongside new caddie Lance Bennett because the 15-time main winner ready for his twenty sixth Masters begin.
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The 48-year-old legend, nonetheless struggling to stroll after extreme leg accidents from a 2021 automotive crash, hopes to make his twenty fourth consecutive Masters reduce and break the event document he shares with Gary Participant and Fred {Couples}.
“He performed nice in the present day,” Zalatoris stated.
“He outdrove me a pair instances so there was some chirping occurring. He seems to be nice. He’s transferring in addition to he may be.
“With all the pieces he has gone by means of, it’s fairly wonderful to see how good he’s swinging it.” 5-time Masters winner Woods, whose most up-to-date main title got here on the 2019 Masters, withdrew final 12 months after making the reduce attributable to plantar fasciitis.
He later underwent ankle surgical procedure and remains to be in comeback mode, however he withdrew from his PGA return at Riviera in February after one spherical attributable to sickness.
Zalatoris, who missed many of the 2023 season after again surgical procedure, was second at Riviera and fourth at Bay Hill. He developed a relationship with Woods over harm restoration.
“It’s not a lot the solutions, it has been extra the thought-provoking questions that he has given to me, has actually been the stuff that has sort of received me again to the place I’m,” Zalatoris stated.
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Spectators at Augusta Nationwide obtained specifically made glasses for the afternoon eclipse, full with a Masters emblem, with as much as 76.1 per cent of totality of the moon protecting the solar over the famed course.
“Discovered a few Masters eclipse glasses, which I shall be protecting for completely the remainder of my life,” Will Zalatoris stated.
“These shall be some collectables that shall be in my workplace without end. I’ll be watching it.” Dimmed circumstances are forecast on the course for about 2.5 hours throughout the follow session, however there was anticipated to be ample gentle for gamers to finish work on the course, driving vary and chipping space.
Augusta Nationwide posted on X the optimum viewing space on the course can be at Amen Nook — the famed eleventh, twelfth and thirteenth holes recognized extra for Sunday drama than Monday stargazing.
It’s not the primary time the lights have gone out on the Masters. There was an eclipse throughout the remaining spherical of the 1940 Masters, when Jimmy Demaret fired a 71 to defeat Lloyd Mangrum by 4 strokes.
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A number of gamers along with Woods are chasing a spot in Masters historical past this week.
Prime-ranked Scottie Scheffler, fancied by oddsmakers, may match Woods as the one gamers to win the Masters twice whereas atop the world rankings. Scheffler was additionally world primary when he captured the 2022 Masters crown.
World quantity two Rory McIlroy, a four-time main winner from Northern Eire, has not received a serious since 2014 however makes his tenth try to finish a profession grand slam by profitable the Masters.
McIlroy, whose six top-10 finishes in his previous 9 Masters begins embrace a runner-up effort behind Scheffler in 2022, would be part of Woods, Jack Nicklaus, Gary Participant, Ben Hogan and Gene Sarazen with the profession grand slam needs to be seize the inexperienced jacket.
Defending champion Jon Rahm of Spain, amongst 13 LIV Golf gamers on this week’s area, may turn into solely the fourth participant to win Masters titles in back-to-back years, becoming a member of Woods, Nicklaus and Nick Faldo.
Nick Dunlap, a 20-year-old who received at LaQuinta earlier than turning skilled, was the primary novice to take a PGA title since Phil Mickelson in 1991.
Now the collegian eyes a inexperienced jacket, a prize that final went to a first-time starter when Fuzzy Zoeller received in 1979.
“I don’t assume the awe ever goes away,” he stated of his Masters debut. “Hopefully come Thursday I’ll be able to kick it into event mode.”