Following a disappointing 10-over 82 on Day 3 of the Masters, Tiger Woods turned to a new swing coach before his 100th career round at Augusta on Sunday: His 15-year-old son Charlie.
With Tiger in his Sunday red and Charlie adorned in his father’s new clothing line, it was the younger Woods who appeared to be dispensing the advice at the Augusta driving range. Charlie is seen taking a few slow swings for the benefit of his father, who was also chatting with caddie Lance Bennett.
‘Seeing Charlie Woods on the range giving his old man a lesson,’ 2008 Masters winner Trevor Immelman wrote on X. ‘So cool!’
Tiger is coming off a rough outing on Saturday.
He started the day 1 over and seven shots off the lead, and feeling like he was capable of making a run at Scottie Scheffler, Bryson DeChambeau and the rest of the leaders. But that was before eight bogeys and two double-bogeys, offset by just a pair of birdies, left the 48-year-old Woods at the bottom of the leaderboard rather than the top.
It was only the fifth round Woods has shot in the 80s as a professional, and only the third in a major. He shot an 80 in the first round of the 2005 U.S. Open at Chambers Bay and an 81 in the third round of the 2002 British Open at Muirfield.
Tiger and son Charlie Woods depart the practice area in a cart during the final round
Tiger Woods is seen warming up on the driving range alongside his son, Charlie
Tiger Woods talks with his son Charlie and his caddie Lance Bennett before the final round
His worst round as a pro came in 2015, when he shot an 85 in the third round of the Memorial.
‘I haven’t competed and played much,’ said Woods, who arrived this week having played just 24 holes of competitive golf this year. ‘When I had chances to get it flipped around and 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, and when I had opportunities to flip it, I didn’t.’
Hard to flip it playing from the trees.
After his tee shot at the seventh bounded through the fairway, Woods dumped his approach in the bunker and made double bogey. At the eighth, he drove it into the trees, punched out and made another double. And to finish off his worst first nine at the Masters, Woods again missed the fairway off the tee, again found a bunker and again walked away with a bogey.
Tiger and Charlie Woods are seen in the warmup area at Augusta wearing dad’s clothing line
Tiger Woods warms up in the practice area at Augusta as his son Charlie Woods looks on
Woods played that four-hole stretch before making the turn in 6 over.
Things didn’t get any better over the next nine.
There was a wayward tee shot at No. 11 — bogey. The missed 6-footer at the 12th — bogey. The drive into the trees at No. 14 — bogey. The chunked chip at the 15th — bogey. The three-putt at the 16th — bogey. And more tree trouble at No. 17 — bogey.
At least playing partner Tyrell Hatton could commiserate. He four-putted the final hole.
‘Sure, he didn’t hit it how he wanted to,’ Hatton said, ‘but also like, putts that he had, the greens are so fast out there. You guys, you don’t realize, even a 2 1/2-foot putt is just brutal. They’ve got so much turn.
‘You start a centimeter outside of your start line and it’s going to miss. Then depending on the pace you’ve hit it at, who knows how far away it’s going to finish up.’
Is Charlie showing dad how it’s done? Tiger Woods watches his son take a swing at Augusta
The week has been a grind for Woods, who had to play 23 holes Friday after darkness brought an early end to his opening round. Yet he not only persevered through a marathon day, he shot a second-round 72 amid such blustery conditions that the average score was 75.09, allowing him to make the cut for a record 24th consecutive time at the Masters.
Woods had driven the ball well, hitting 22 of 28 fairways through two rounds, and offset some poor approach shots — just 17 of 36 greens in regulation — with an excellent short game. He began the third round in the top 10 in putting this week.
What had been his strength, though, became his downfall Saturday. Woods hit just four of 13 fairways, had a pair of three-putts, and was left trying to get his body back in shape before an early tee time Sunday.
‘My team will get me ready,’ he said. ‘It will be a long night and a long warm-up session, but we’ll be ready.’
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