09 April 2023 , 19:07
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Sir Nick Faldo has questioned how long Tiger Woods can carry on playing through the pain after the American superstar pulled out of The Masters.
The 15-time Major winner looked in agony as limped around Augusta National on Saturday before play was abandoned in the rain. And Woods, 47, withdrew before the third round resumed on Sunday “due to reaggravating my plantar fasciitis”.
The former world No.1 added: “Thank you to the fans and to The Masters who have shown me so much love and support.” Before teeing off in only his fifth event since a horrific car crash in February 2021, Woods admitted his 25th Masters could be his last.
“I don't know how many more I have in me,” he said. And after his opening round, the world No.1001 reported he was “sore” and in “constant” pain.
Woods had made consecutive double bogeys on his final two holes in dreadful conditions on Saturday to sink to the bottom of the field of the 54 players to make the cut on nine-over par.
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Faldo tweeted: “The amount of rehab each and every day is brutal. Feels even worse if you’re not shooting a decent score! How long can he keep putting himself through that?”
Woods only planned to play the Majors and other selected events this year after teeing up only three times last year.
The US PGA is at Oak Hill in Rochester, New York next month while the Open returns to Royal Liverpool in July. Woods won the Claret Jug there in 2006.
His friend Jason Day said: “He looked like he was labouring pretty hard yesterday. It was obviously difficult to watch. It's just the weather that got him. It wasn't the perfect conditions for him to be able to at least get through the round.
"It was good to see him play well and make the cut in those conditions, especially to tie the all time record of consecutive cuts.
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Tiger Woods was visibly uncomfortable whilst competing on Saturday (Getty Images)"That's unbelievable. Another thing that he has to put on the trophy cabinet, I'm sure. It's disappointing, but that's just kind of, I think, where we're at with how his body is right now. it just sucks that he's not here playing.”
The Aussie, who said Woods’ “short game looked tremendous” when he watched him during a practice round, added: “I was talking to him at the end of last year, and then he was saying the reason why he pulled out of the PGA was a screw went through the skin on Saturday or whatever it was.
"I don't know how bad it is this time.”
Jason Day discussed Woods' troubles (Getty Images)The five-time Masters champion still managed to equal the Masters record of 23 consecutive cuts already held by Gary Player and Freddie Couples.
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Golf Channel pundit Brad Faxon said: “It is not just since his car accident. I played with him in 2018 after his back issues. He told me he was in so much pain that he had to crawl out of bed to go to the bathroom.
"What he has done to make this cut is nothing less than heroic. Hats off to him. He did another thing that we didn’t believe was possible.”
Before the Masters, his caddie Joe LaCava had admitted: "He’s pretty banged up. If it wasn’t Augusta he probably wouldn’t be playing. He still has the power, the swing speed, the shots and the length to contend. The injury is devastating, but if he could take a cart, he could contend tomorrow."
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