Golf great Tiger Woods withdraws before completing 3rd round of Masters

(AP) — Tiger Woods withdrew from the Masters golf tournament before the resumption of the third round because of an injury Sunday, ending his streak of completing all 72 holes of every tournament he has played at Augusta National as a professional.

The tournament announced about 90 minutes before play began that Woods, who is still hobbled by the effects of the 2021 car accident that nearly cost him his right leg, had withdrawn. He'd limped through practice rounds early in the week and again during the first and second rounds, but the limp had become more pronounced as the weather worsened.

“I am disappointed to have to WD this morning due to reaggravating my plantar fasciitis,” Woods said on Twitter. “Thank you to the fans and to (at)The Masters who have shown me so much love and support. Good luck to the players today!”

The five-time champion finished his second round in cold, driving rain on Saturday to make the cut on the number at 3 over, extending his Masters streak to 23 straight and tying Fred Couples and Gary Player for the longest in history.

The 47-year-old Woods headed back out for the start of the third round as temperatures struggled to reach 50 degrees, and it wound up being a water-logged slog. Wearing a gray winter hat over a baseball cap, he started on the 10th hole with a bogey, added another at No. 14, and then had back-to-back double bogeys after finding the water on Nos. 15 and 16.

It was the first time Woods has ever had consecutive double bogeys at the Masters.

By the time the horn blew ending play with rain still pouring and puddles beginning to stand at Augusta National, Woods was at 9 over and alone in last place among those that made the cut. That was 22 shots behind leader Brooks Koepka.

“I've always loved this golf course, and I love playing this event,” Woods said after his second round Saturday. “Obviously I've missed a couple with some injuries, but I've always wanted to play here. I've loved it.”

Woods also withdrew before the final round of last year's PGA Championship with what his agent, Mark Steinberg, described as pain and discomfort in his right foot. That came hours after the 15-time major champion limped to a 79 at Southern Hills in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in similarly cold and windy weather; he had shot 69 in the second round.

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