On Sunday night, Tiger Woods was the last one on the course at Augusta National. He can only hope the same is true in a week.
With questionable weather in the forecast for Monday and Tuesday, several players snuck out for practice on Sunday, including Woods. The four-time Masters champion headed out to the course with just a wedge and a putter, feeling his way around the course for nearly three hours.
When Woods arrived on property shortly after 4 p.m., a handful of players — including past champs Patrick Reed, Sergio Garcia, Adam Scott, Fred Couples and Zach Johnson — were already on the grounds. Woods hit several putts, signed a few hats for Kiradech Aphibarnrat, who was coming off No. 9, and took to the course with just a wedge in hand.
A rare moment of solitude! Tiger last off course this Sunday eve, will he last off next Sunday golfing Tweeps? 🏌️‍♂️⛳️ pic.twitter.com/4AVYiinHyn
— Sir Nick Faldo (@NickFaldo006) April 8, 2019
“A rare moment of solitude!” CBS broadcaster Nick Faldo wrote on Twitter alongside a picture of Woods chipping at No. 9. “Tiger last off course this Sunday eve.”
The World No. 12 is among the betting favorites this week at 14-1, behind only Rory McIlroy (7-1), Dustin Johnson (10-1) and top-ranked Justin Rose (12-1). He is coming off a T5 at the WGC-Match Play in Austin, where he lost in the quarterfinals to Lucas Bjerregard. In 2019, Woods has a T5, T10, T15, T20 and T30 in five starts.
Woods’ last Masters victory came in 2005; he announced last week that he’s returning to the same mock-turtleneck look that he wore to victory that year, when he edged Chris DiMarco in a playoff. Since his victory that year, Woods has had two runner-up finishes, a T3, three T4s and a T6 at Augusta. Last year, Woods closed with his best round of the week, a three-under 69, to notch a T32 result.
He’ll look to improve on that by the close of play next Sunday evening.
