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AUGUSTA, Ga. — The Masters is about the experiences.
Experiences for the spectators (“patrons’’ in Masters preferred parlance).
Experiences for the players competing in the tournament.
For years, there were Arnold Palmer experiences for young players privileged enough to play nine holes with him in a practice round or sit with him over lunch on the clubhouse veranda. Everyone who ever met Palmer has an Arnie story to tell.
Later, there were players who got a taste of the Jack Nicklaus experience. Same as with Palmer, chances to rub shoulders with the Golden Bear were cherished, providing memories for a lifetime.
We’ve now entered a period when today’s younger players who qualify to play in the Masters are getting the Tiger Woods experience.
Woods, at age 46, is not yet a ceremonial golfer as Palmer and then Nicklaus eventually became when they grew too old to contend for a green jacket.
Even as he continues to recover from his gruesome car crash in February 2021, Woods remains a player who can still win at Augusta despite the fact he enters Sunday’s final round at 7-over and 16 shots behind leader Scottie Scheffler after shooting 78, his highest Masters score ever, Saturday.
Woods will not win his sixth green jacket on Sunday. He’ll have to be satisfied with this week marking the remarkable completion of his greatest comeback ever from the many physical ailments that have set him back in his career.
He teased us with his 1-under 71 in Thursday’s opening round that had him in contention. But Woods has gone backward on the leaderboard since Thursday, shooting 74 on Friday and 78 on Saturday.
So, we can officially say he’s out of it now.
Woods, who’s spend so many years using his putter as a dagger against his fellow competitors, was done in by his by flat stick and he sounded completely flummoxed by it. He had four three-putts and one four-putt.
“It was like putting practice out there,’’ Woods said. “I mean, it’s like I hit a thousand putts out there on the greens today. I didn’t think I hit it all that bad, but I had absolutely zero feel on the greens and it showed.’’
Woods’ struggle doesn’t diminish him as the most powerful draw in the sport, particularly at Augusta National.
Even in a week like this as Woods played his first Masters in two years, there have been players who’ve had Tiger moments that they’ll never forget.
Cam Davis, a 27-year-old Australian competing in his first career Masters, had an early encounter with Woods he won’t soon forget. Davis was playing an afternoon practice round last Sunday and, with the course backing up, Woods joined him for a few holes.
“I was trying to pick his brain a little bit, but at the same time, just enjoying being in his presence,’’ Davis said of his impromptu brush with greatness. “I’ve met him a couple times. It was the first time I’ve played any golf with him. No fans or anything, just quiet. I hit with Tiger. It was nice.
“He was nice, very approachable, very talkative. I’ll definitely remember it as my first go ’round here with him.’’
Aaron Jarvis, a 19-year-old from the Cayman Islands who earned an invitation to his first Masters with a victory at the 2022 Latin America Amateur Championship in the Dominican Republic last January, had a different experience to that of Davis.
He tried to join Woods during a practice round on Sunday and was given the Heisman.
“I was turning the ninth hole [in a Monday practice round] and I saw Tiger hop out in front of me,’’ Jarvis said. “I ran up to him and ran through the woods and asked, ‘Mr. Woods, are you playing by yourself, or can we join?’ ’’
“I’m just going to play by myself today,” Woods told Jarvis.
“There’s no better ‘No’ or better rejection from Tiger Woods, right?’’ Jarvis said. “I thought would I give it a shot. It was pretty cool seeing him playing in front of me. And after the round, I got to talk to him and Joe [LaCava, Woods’ caddie] for 10 minutes or so, and it was just incredible. It was just incredible talking to Tiger, and hopefully I get to talk to him in the future as well.’’
No one had a better seat for the Tiger Woods experience than Joaquin Niemann, who was paired with him for the first two rounds this week.
“I really enjoyed playing with Tiger,’’ Niemann said. “I know that anytime I’m going to look back on these two days, it’s going to look like a really special moment.’’
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