Langer retires early
Tiger Woods compares himself to racing cars
4/9/2022 12:36 p.m
In February 2021, Tiger Woods almost lost his leg in a serious car accident, now he’s back on the golf course. His comeback at the Masters in Augusta is wildly acclaimed. A changeable day two with a happy ending – and with a comparison from the Nascar racing series.
Golf superstar Tiger Woods has compared his battered body to a Nascar racing car as he returns 14 months after his serious car accident. “My team did a hell of a job getting me there and fixing the body. After I broke it out there, they fixed it that night,” said the 46-year-old Californian after his 22nd appearance on Friday in a row made the cut at the Masters in Augusta.
“You should know that from Nascar: break it, fix it. I’m good at breaking it. You’re good at fixing it,” said the five-time Masters winner. Woods is in an impressive 19th place after two rounds with a total of 145 shots in the traditional major tournament.
The 15-time major winner even had to fear losing his right leg in February 2021 after his accident south of Los Angeles. His surprising return at the Masters sent the golf world into a state of emergency. “I expected to be sore and not feeling my best,” Woods said. “I can walk on this golf course. I can put on tennis shoes and go for a walk. That’s not a problem. But playing with the ball and making shots from uneven lies is a whole new challenge.”
Only the course is slightly out of round
As always, the fans accompanied their hero in large numbers and loudly from track to track. “I was unlucky with a couple of heavy gusts of wind. And I also had some bad swings. After the fourth hole I was wondering what else could go wrong,” said the five-time Master Champion. “But hey, I made the cut and I have a chance to play this weekend.”
There was hardly anything to be seen of the consequences of the accident: Only Woods’ gait seemed slightly out of round. In addition, he could not really bend his knees to read the greens. “I’m not feeling as good as I would like to feel, but that’s okay,” said Woods.
US compatriot Scottie Scheffler is clearly in the lead at the magnificent facility on Magnolia Lane. The 25-year-old world number one coped well with the windy conditions on the hilly, par-72 course at Augusta National Golf Club and topped the leaderboard with a round of 67 and a total of 136 shots. Scheffler is already five strokes ahead of a quartet led by last year’s winner Hideki Matsuyama from Japan.
Long missed cut
Stewart Cink hit the shot of the day: The 48-year-old American hit an ace on hole 16, which was enthusiastically applauded by the fans – on the 24th birthday of son Reagan, who accompanied his father as caddy. “Happy Birthday,” his dad shouted at him as he hugged him.
Germany’s golf idol Bernhard Langer, on the other hand, missed the cut and was eliminated early. The 64-year-old from Anhausen in Swabia made four bogeys and only played one round of 76. That put the 1985 and 1993 Masters champion 78th in his 39th start with 152 shots. Only the top 50 and tied players qualified for the two rounds at the weekend.
On the one hand, Langer struggled with the length of the pitch. “On the other hand, the short game. I have to putt well here and haven’t putted well the last two days. That was the difference,” said Langer, who teed off at the Masters for the first time in 1982. Next year, the veteran would like to compete for the 40th time: “I intend to do that, yes. Definitely.”
Thanks to his two Masters triumphs, Langer enjoys a lifetime start at the major tournament in the US state of Georgia. The German, who lives in Boca Raton, Florida, set a record two years ago when he became the oldest player in tournament history to make the cut. Again this year, Langer was the oldest player in the field. He only missed the Masters in 1983 and 2011.