Masters Latest: Tiger Woods caps off Masters week with his worst finish as a pro golfer
AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) — The latest from the final round Sunday at the Masters:
Tiger Woods finishes with worst tournament score ever
Tiger Woods finished the Masters on Sunday with a 16-over 304, his highest 72-hole score in a career that spans three decades.
Woods’ previous high was 302 at the Memorial in 2015 following a career-worst 85 in the third round. He has only failed to break 300 one other time at the Masters was two years ago when he shot 78-78 on the weekend and finished at 301.
All of that hardly mattered to the crowd.
The 48-year-old Woods, who is still dealing with the effects of numerous surgeries that have impacted his body and limited his playing time on the PGA Tour, received a huge roar from the crowd as he pitched close to the hole on No. 18 and made par. ___
Kim and Kitayama prove there are low scores to be had in final round
Tom Kim and Kurt Kitayama proved to the leaders heading out later Sunday that there are low scores to be had at Augusta National today.
Both of them bounced back from dismal third rounds in spectacular fashion, combining to go 10 under on Sunday.
Kim shot 77 on Saturday before making eight birdies on his way to a final-round 66. Kitayama’s turnaround was even more pronounced. He followed up an 82 with a 68 that was highlighted by an eagle on the par-5 second, an improvement of 14 shots — nearly one per hole.
Augusta National was sideswiped by a storm Thursday that delayed the start of the Masters by 2 1/2 hours. Winds gusting to 45 mph on Friday made play miserable. But it was warm, sunny and ideal for the final round on Sunday.
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Rahm holes from fairway in otherwise forgettable Masters
It’s been a forgettable Masters for defending champion Jon Rahm.
But one swing will leave him with a fond memory.
On the seventh hole, Rahm drove his tee shot into the trees right of the fairway and had to punch out. He made up for his mistake by sinking a wedge from 80 yards for a birdie, dropping his score on the day to 2 under though he remained 10 strokes off the lead.
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Tiger Woods acknowledges Verne Lundquist, who is calling his final Masters
Tiger Woods and Verne Lundquist will always share a connection at Augusta National.
It was only appropriate that they shared a moment at the Lundquist’s final Masters.
At the 16th hole, where Woods made a memorable chip-in at the 2005 Masters on the way to his fourth of five green jackets, the golfer stopped to shake Lundquist’s hand and exchange a few words after tapping in for par.
The 83-year-old Lundquist is retiring after calling the Masters for CBS for the 40th time.
His decision to step away has rekindled memories of his epic call of Woods’ chip-in nearly two decades ago, when Lundquist bellowed, “In your life have you seen anything like that?!”
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DeChambeau, Smith carrying the LIV banner on final day
Bryson DeChambeau and Cameron Smith are carrying the LIV banner on the final day of the Masters.
DeChambeau, who held at least a share of the lead through the first two rounds, endured a messy 3-over 75 on Saturday that dropped him four strokes behind leader Scottie Scheffler with a 3-under score through 54 holes.
Smith was six shots off the pace, the only other LIV golfer with a realistic chance at making a run for the title at Augusta National.
The upstart tour, which has shaken the world of golf by doling out huge contracts to lure a host of big-name players away from the PGA Tour, had 13 players in the Masters field. Eight of them made the cut, including defending Masters champion Jon Rahm.
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Tiger Woods makes triple bogey on hole No. 5
Tiger Woods continues to struggle at the Masters.
In his 100th round at Augusta National, Woods started the day par, birdie, bogey, par before running into major problems on the fifth hole. He took an unplayable shot off the tee and was driven back to the tee on a golf cart to re-hit.
Woods finished with a triple-bogey 7 on the fifth and is now 4 over for the day and 15 over for the tournament.
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Shipley can’t accept prize money, but Ohio State golfer could be cashing in
Neal Shipley is probably driving up his NIL value at the Masters.
The amateur golfer from Ohio State has been able to profit the last few years from his name, image and likeness after the NCAA began allowing college athletes to make money.
Shipley said this week he has a good group of backers back in Columbus, and they’ve been invaluable. As an amateur, Shipley cannot accept prize money from tournaments, and playing majors such as the Masters and U.S. Open is expensive. Housing alone for a week can cost thousands.
Those backers are getting their money’s worth this week.
Shipley is the only amateur to make the cut, and he found himself playing his final round Sunday with Tiger Woods, where TV cameras followed every shot along with thousands of patrons.
Shipley plans to play the U.S. Open in June as an amateur before deciding whether to turn pro.
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Bryson DeChambeau trying to win the Masters and prove he has changed
Bryson DeChambeau was once so arrogant that he called Augusta National a par-67 course because of his power. But he has matured a bit over the years, and that maturity has been on full display at the Masters this week.
The former low amateur at the event is seeking his first green jacket, and he’s put himself in position not by overpowering the course but by working with it. He has been patient. He has taken only calculated risks. And his putting has been sublime, which is usually the most important thing on the fast, undulating greens of Augusta National.
As for that “par-67” comment from 2020, DeChambeau said this week: “You know, you mess up. I’m not a perfect person. Everybody messes up. You learn from your mistake, and that was definitely one.”
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Verne Lundquist will sign off one last time from the Masters on Sunday
The 83-year-old Verne Lundquist is retiring after 40 years having spent a week in early April at Augusta National. He had pulled back from calling football and basketball games over the years, but he remained a fixture at the Masters.
“Yes, sir!” Lundquist proclaimed when Jack Nicklaus pulled ahead with a birdie on the 17th hole on his way to winning in 1986. And when Tiger Woods hit that pitch on the 16th green in 2005, which rolled down the hill and hung on the cup before falling, Lundquist said, “In your life have you seen anything like that?”
Most had not. Nor had they heard a call that memorable, either.
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Final round begins with Scheffler chasing second Masters’ green jacket
The final round of the Masters is underway at warm, sunny Augusta National, where Scottie Scheffler has a one-shot lead over Collin Morikawa and a two-shot advantage on Max Homa as he chases a second green jacket.
Morikawa is trying to win the third leg of the career grand slam. Homa is trying to win his first major championship.
Tiger Woods is in the third pairing off after shooting his worst round in a major, a 10-over 82 on Saturday. He is playing his 100th round at the Masters with Neal Shipley, the only amateur to make the cut this year.
The fierce winds that made Friday such a grind are gone now. But temps are expected to hit the mid-80s, and a golf course that is already playing firm and fast could become even tougher as the day wears on and it dries out even more.
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