Tiger Woods faced unexpected obstacle at Masters

Dec 19, 2021; Orlando, Florida, USA; Tiger Woods with a smile while waiting on the third tee box during the final round of the PNC Championship golf tournament at Grande Lakes Orlando Course. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Reper-USA TODAY Sports

Tiger Woods is hoping his body holds up well enough to get through all four days at the Masters, but Mother Nature threw him and 26 other golfers an unfortunate curveball on Thursday.

The opening round of the Masters at Augusta National was delayed due to weather. As a result, 27 golfers were unable to finish their first 18 holes on Thursday. Woods was among that group, as he was through 13 holes when play was suspended due to darkness.

What that means is that Woods had to play 23 holes (5 from his first round and 18 for the second) on Friday. For a 48-year-old golfer with a long injury history, that is no easy task.

Tiger played well on Thursday. He was 1-under par through 13 holes when play was suspended. Considering he has not played competitively in two months, he could not have asked for a much better start.

Woods withdrew from The Genesis Invitational in February due to issues with his back. He has been open about the fact that it is difficult for him to walk 18 holes, so he will likely have to be particularly cautious while playing 23 in a single day.