Woods probably needed this Masters tournament more than the Masters needed him.
Tiger Woods has confidently strode the fairway onto the 18th green thousands of times. Hundreds of those have been before raucous crowds at major tournaments cheering wildly for the iconic golfer. In Sunday’s final round of the 2022 Masters, he received the same thunderous applause on the 18th, except this time it was different. He wasn’t in contention for a title. His stride not as confident. His face showed grimace. He looked mentally and physically exhausted. He slowly walked off the course in 47th place after a four-round total of 13-over par. It might be one of the best moments of his life. Woods broke multiple bones in his right leg almost 14 months ago during a car crash in California. Many feared that Woods didn’t survive the crash, which authorities determined was caused by driving at a high rate of speed. A seat belt saved his life, they said. Woods fractured his fibula as well as both the upper and lower portions of his tibia. His ankle bones were damaged and the soft tissue and muscle around the bones had trauma. Reconstructive surgery involved screws, pins and rods to stabilize his leg. Combined with a nagging back injury through the years, it appeared his professional golfing career was over.
