AUGUSTA, Ga. — After his Masters second round was complete Friday, Tiger Woods crowed that he was entering the weekend “right there’’ in contention to win his sixth green jacket.

The 48-year-old Woods, a five-time Masters winner, entered the weekend at 1-over and seven shots out of the lead.

Then on Saturday, he went from “right there’’ to long gone after shooting a stunning and uncharacteristic 10-over 82 — the highest score he’s ever posted in 99 career rounds in his 26 Masters appearances.


  Tiger Woods reacts to a missed putt on the No. 18 green during the third round of the Masters. Katie Goodale-USA TODAY Network Tiger Woods reacts to a missed putt on the No. 18 green during the third round of the Masters. Katie Goodale-USA TODAY Network

The result was a massive deflation after Woods had just set the tournament record for most consecutive cuts made at 24 on Friday.

“I didn’t have a very good warm-up session, and I kept it going all day,’’ said Woods, is 18 strokes behind third-round leader Scottie Scheffler. “[I] just hit the ball in all the places that I know I shouldn’t hit it and I missed a lot of putts — easy, makeable putts.’’

Woods, who entered the week having played only one tournament this year, 24 holes of the Genesis Invitational in February before withdrawing with what he called the flu, lamented his lack of play as a factor.

He, in fact, hadn’t completed a full-field, 72-hole tournament since the 2023 Genesis.

“I haven’t competed and played much,’’ he said. “When I had chances to get it flipped around, [like] when I made that [birdie] putt at 5, I promptly three-putted 6 and flub a chip at 7 and just got it going the wrong way. When I had opportunities to flip it, I didn’t.’’

Woods entered the day with the best third-round record to par at the Masters at 40-under par in his career. Saturday’s 10-over gave a quarter of those strokes back.


  Tiger Woods follows his shot as he hits out of a bunker on no. 9 during the third round of the Masters Adam Cairns, Adam Cairns / USA TODAY NETWORK Tiger Woods follows his shot as he hits out of a bunker on no. 9 during the third round of the Masters Adam Cairns, Adam Cairns / USA TODAY NETWORK

His Saturday started out steadily enough with pars on his first three holes, a bogey on No. 4 and then a bounce-back birdie on No. 5. At that point, he was even par for the day.

Then his round and tournament unraveled.

Woods double-bogeyed Nos. 7 and 8 and bogeyed No. 9 to make the turn in 42. Another bogey on 12 was followed by a birdie on 13 and then consecutive bogeys on Nos. 14, 15, 16, 17 and 18.

Still as he walked up 18, which he would par, Woods received a rousing ovation as he took his cap off in appreciation, though looking worn out.


  Tiger Woods struggled on Day 3 of the Masters. Rob Schumacher-USA TODAY Network Tiger Woods struggled on Day 3 of the Masters. Rob Schumacher-USA TODAY Network

Woods’ previous worst score at the Masters were the pair of 78s he shot in the third and fourth rounds of the 2022 tournament.

Before those, his worst score was the 77 he shot in the third round of the 1995 tournament, during which he was still an amateur.

That stretch of holes 6 through 9 wrecked his 26th Masters.

On No. 6, a par-3, Woods did what you cannot do on that hole, which was hit his tee shot over the green. He attempted to putt over the fringe but left his ball 5 feet short. Then he missed his par putt.


  Tiger Woods holds up his ball to the crowd as he walks off the No. 18 green during the third round of the Masters. Katie Goodale-USA TODAY Network Tiger Woods holds up his ball to the crowd as he walks off the No. 18 green during the third round of the Masters. Katie Goodale-USA TODAY Network

On No. 7, things got ugly as he hit his drive into the pine straw on the right side and was blocked out from the green by a pine tree. He tried to hit a punch shot out of the straw but pulled his ball into a bad spot on the left, about 44 yards from the pin.

Then he chunked a pitch shot into a left green-side bunker.

After another chip out, he left an 18-foot bogey putt short and made his first double bogey of the tournament.

Woods sprayed his tee shot on No. 8 into the left trees. After punching out, he hit a poor approach into the green, leaving a 25-foot putt.

From there, he three-putted for a second consecutive double. It was the first time Woods ever made double bogey on No. 8, which is a par-5 that traditionally yields a lot of birdies.

He followed that mess with a three-putt on No. 9 for bogey and made the turn at 6-over for the day, 7-over for the tournament, and never recovered on the back.

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