Augusta: Tiger Woods teed off along with South African Louis Oosthuizen and Chile’s Joaquin Niemann after Gary Player fired the ceremonial first tee shot to open a fascinating Masters on Thursday as crowds swarmed into Augusta National.
The last of overnight storms delayed the ceremonial start 30 minutes with Player followed to the first tee by 18-time major winner Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson, who stepped into the honorary starter role left vacant by the passing of Lee Elder, the first Black man to compete in the Masters.
But the dreary weather could not dampen the buzz or expectations, as golf fans lucky enough to have secured one of sport’s most coveted tickets moved quickly to stake out their places around some of the sport’s most famous holes and wait for the man of the moment, Woods to appear.
Anticipation around the year’s first major has soared since Woods on Tuesday announced he not only planned to play the Masters, but believes he could win a sixth Green Jacket just 14 months after doctors considered the possibility of having to amputate his right leg.
The Masters officially began with Spain’s Jose Maria Olazabal first off, but for most of the spectators and millions watching on television, it started when the five-time champion stepped into the tee..
After two years of COVID-19 restrictions limiting the number of spectators, it seemed like old times at Augusta National as massive galleries washed over the course.
While the focus is on Woods there will be a galaxy of golfing stars for patrons to choose to follow, including betting favourite Spaniard Jon Rahm and Northern Irishman Rory McIlroy, who again will seek to complete the career Grand Slam with a Masters win.
Woods suffered severe right leg injuries in a February 2021 car crash and was hospitalized for weeks and unable to walk for months.
But after extensive rehabilitation and several practice rounds at hilly Augusta National, the 15-time major winner is set to compete for a record-tying sixth Masters title in his first competitive top-level rounds since the 2020 Masters, postponed to November that year due to Covid-19.
