Tiger Woods is 46 years old, he has undergone ten surgeries and his body is no longer the same. Photo: EFE/EPA/ERIK S. LESSER.
Tired and sick after one of the worst days of his career, American golf star Tiger Woods decided not to compete on Sunday in the final round of the PGA Championship, in his first retirement as a professional from a Grand Slam tournament.
Woods, who is playing his second golf event after his car accident in February 2021, he finished his third round with 79 strokes, nine more than pardropping under the pack in the Southern Hills (Tulsa).
At the end of your tour, with visible strainthe winner of 15 Grand Slam tournaments admitted that he was not sure he would finish the tournament due to pain in his right leg, the result of multiple fractures he sustained in the collision.
Tiger Woods fought to the best of his ability but the effort he made on Friday paid off on Saturday. Photo: EFE/EPA/TANNEN MAURY.
“Well, I’m sore. That’s a given. We’ll do some work and see how it goes,” he told reporters.
Shortly after the tournament itself it was confirmed via Twitter that the star would be leaving the competition.
“We admire Heroic effort of the tiger for competing here in the Southern Hills and we wish him the best as he continues to recover from his injuries, ”said PGA America President Jim Richerson.
At 46 years old, and after a dozen back and knee surgeriesTiger needed hours of physical therapy and ice baths after each round to recover, especially after the accident, when he spent several months without even being able to walk.
Even public support has not been able to change Tiger Woods ’fortunes. Photo: Christian Petersen/Getty Images/AFP.
On his spectacular return to golf in April at the Augusta Masters, the Californian was able to complete all four rounds but, from more to less, he ended up in a distant position 47.
Neither Augusta nor this week has Woods had a real chance to fight for his coveted 83rd PGA title, which will make him the biggest win in history, and his 16th Grand Slam trophy, which will approach him on Jack’s record of 18 Nicklaus.
Tiger, with his legendary competitive spirit, always ensures that his great goal is to win the circuit again.
As a result, he advanced that he would only compete in very important events and in April he indicated his presence at another Grand Slam, the British Open (July 14-17).
This week, Tiger Woods withdrew from his emotional return to the Masters but he also left signs of his determined will to be competitive.
After a disappointing first round of 74 shots (+4), Woods was able to save the cut in the second run of 69 (-1), which ended tired on Friday afternoon.
With some time to recover, Tiger had to put on his work suit again from early Saturday, this time to salvage his prestige.
The star expressed her desire to make the weekend as warm as possible, but what Saturday found was a wet and slippery farm which caused confusion to most players.
Despite relentless applause from his fans, Tiger quickly received a bad signal sending his second tee shot into the water towards the first of his seven bogeys of the dayfive of them consecutively committed for the first time to a ‘Major’.
The worst moment came in the sixth hole, where he sent the ball back into the water and then got stuck in the high rough grass until he gave up. a devastating triple bogey.
He later chained an unprecedented five consecutive bogeys between the ninth and thirteenth holes that plunged him to the table and put him on the brink of his worst day in a ‘Big’ tournament.
Woods showed acts of disbelief and some helpless smile, while his followers did not stop encouraging him.
Tiger Woods and a Saturday to forget in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Photo: Christian Petersen/Getty Images/AFP.
On the 15th hole he left one of several samples of his talent by signing his lone birdie with an amazing putt of 10.9 metersoo
Tiger closed his course with three holes on par that left him in the group in last place in the standings with 222 hits (+12), 21 away from the Chilean Pabula Pereiraamazing leader.
Chilean Mito Pereira will start on Sunday as leader, with a three -shot advantage. Photo: AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki.
“I just didn’t play well,” Woods acknowledged. “I didn’t hit the ball too much and I didn’t get the start I needed.”
The Tiger recorded his worst result in a round of the PGA Championship but missed his worst Grand Slam round, still 81 (+10) from the 2002 British Open.
His abandonment was his first starring role as a professional in a Grand Slam. In 1995 he retired as a freshman on his US Open debut with a wrist problem.
Source: AFP
Source: Clarin
