Tiger Woods struggled through his opening round at The Masters on Thursday, finishing with a two-over 74 and admitting to being in constant pain. Despite making a comeback at the 2022 Masters after his car crash, Woods' physical struggles were evident throughout the round. The fifteen-time major champion opened with three bogeys but rallied with a birdie at the eighth. He chipped a spectacular approach at the thirteenth, narrowly missing an eagle, before back-to-back birdies at the fifteenth and sixteenth holes. However, a closing bogey compounded a frustrating afternoon for Woods.
Woods candidly told reporters that his left leg was sore but that he was okay to hop on it, unlike his right leg, which had a rod and pins in it. The five-time Masters champion is uncertain if this week will be his final appearance at the tournament, given his sporadic competitive appearances since his car crash. Woods is scheduled to tee off for his second round on Friday at 1:24 p.m. ET (6:24 p.m. BST). He has missed the cut only once in his previous 24 appearances at Augusta and will need a resurgent second round to achieve the feat. The crowd followed him en masse throughout the day, and Woods hopes to inch his way back and be positive towards the end of the tournament.