How, then, did Tiger Woods have perhaps the worst putting round of his career: four official three-putts, two others from just off the green and a four-putt on Saturday at Augusta National?

“I just could not get a feel for getting comfortable with the ball,” Woods said after a six-over 78, his highest score in 93 competitive rounds at the Masters, that left him at seven over after 54 holes and outside the top 40. “Posture, feel, my right hand, my release, I just couldn’t find it.

“Tried different things, trying to find it, trying to get something, taking practice strokes and just trying to feel the swing and the putter head, trying to get anything, and nothing seemed to work. Even as many putts as I had, you’d think I’d have figured it out somewhere along the line, but it just didn’t happen.”

Woods four-putted the fifth hole from 65 feet, missing a six-footer for par then rushing and horseshoeing a two-footer for bogey. And it actually worsened as the round wore on—Woods three-putted each of his last three holes before limping off the 18th, his surgically rebuilt right leg screaming for a rest. Woods will never let on how much pain he’s in; all we can go off are context clues. After he talked to a group of reporters, Tiger embraced agent Mark Steinberg as he walked back uphill toward the clubhouse—half a sign of affection, half using him as a human cane.

After 14 months of rehabilitation and only a few weeks of walking 18-hole rounds, Woods has now trudged through 81 hilly holes in six days at Augusta. Pure adrenaline made a one-under 71 on Thursday possible, and he drained the energy reserves to salvage a 74 after an awful start on Friday. But Saturday always looked a tough task, with temperatures in the low 50s and an ever-present breeze combining for a shiver-worthy afternoon.

Warmth is Woods’ best friend these days. Humidity, too. It’s no coincidence he lives in South Florida. Warmth lubricates his 46-year-old joints and his fused back, and there was none of it on Saturday. But there lies the funny part—if the cold would claim a victim, you’d think it’d be the ball-striking. A stiff back produces a stiff swing. But Woods was satisfied with his move on Saturday. He gained roughly 1.5 shots from tee-to-green but lost nearly five with his Scotty.

“It’s just been blustery all day. You add in the temperature difference, it was cold starting out. The ball wasn’t going very far. I thought it was tough. Some of the other guys may not say that, but for me I had a tough time. I felt like I didn’t really hit it that bad. … I mean, it’s just like I hit a thousand putts out there on the greens today. Obviously it’s affected the score. You take those away and I have normal two-putts, I’m even par for the day. I did what I needed to do ball striking-wise, but I did absolutely the exact opposite on the greens.”

Woods entered this week believing, somehow, that he could win a sixth green jacket should things fall his way. He wouldn’t have teed it up if he felt otherwise. Saturday’s round will force even the most ardent optimists to abandon any hope of that dream. And it had nothing to do with his body.

• • •

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By Daniel Rapaport
Tiger Woods’ agent, Mark Steinberg, issued a statement Sunday reacting to “Tiger,” the new two-part HBO documentary that dives into the life of his star client.

“Just like the book it is based off of, the upcoming HBO documentary is just another unauthorized and salacious outsider attempt to paint an incomplete portrait of one of the greatest athletes of all-time,” Steinberg said.

The book Steinberg is referring to is Tiger, the 2018 biography written by Armen Keteyian and Jeff Benedict. Keteyian is also listed as an executive producer for the HBO two-part series, which debuts Sunday.

RELATED: New Tiger Woods documentary has its moments, but for those paying attention, it doesn’t add much

Both the documentary and book spend extensive time examining Woods’ relationship with his father, Earl, and what impact that may have had on his development as a man. Woods’ team took issue with the book’s content upon its release as well.

The three-hour documentary features multiple people who were close to Woods at one time but have since fallen out of his circle—including former caddie Steve Williams, former girlfriend Dina Parr and Rachel Uchitel, a nightclub manager who was at the centre of Woods’ infidelity scandal. Woods himself does not participate, nor does any member of his immediate family or current associates.

Steinberg, a partner at Excel Sports Management, has represented Woods since 1998.

Woods, 45, has won 15 major championships, second all-time to Jack Nicklaus.

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By Ryan Herrington
Tiger Woods will not be sneaking in one last PGA Tour start ahead of the upcoming Masters.

Woods’ agent, Mark Steinberg, told Golf Digest that the 15-time major winner has decided against playing in next week’s Vivint Houston Open. Instead, he’ll remain at home to get in his last-minute preparation before defending his title at Augusta National, Nov. 12-15.

Woods rarely plays in a tournament the week before a major championship and has never done so prior to the Masters since turning professional. Yet he raised the possibility last week while playing in the Zozo Championship, saying he was considering adding the event to his schedule.

“I’ll make the decision soon,” Woods said on Sunday after the final round of the Zozo. “I’m not going to wait around on that decision and commit either way, one way or the other. … I’ll make a decision quickly on whether or not I’m going to play Houston or not.”

Steinberg told Golf Digest’s Daniel Rapaport via phone on Tuesday: “There was some speculation whether Tiger would play Houston based on what he said at Sherwood, but he has decided to prepare for the Masters at home.”

Woods is coming off a disappointing T-72 finish at the Zozo in a field of 78 players, a second-round 66 at Sherwood Country Club surrounded by scores of 76-71-74. It mirrored some of his inconsistent play throughout 2020.

Woods’ best finish in eight PGA Tour starts during the calendar year has been a T-9 at the Farmers Insurance Open in January. In six starts since the tour resumed play after the COVID-19 hiatus, he finished no better than T-37 (PGA Championship).

Of course, you can never count out Tiger Woods at Augusta National, where he claimed his fifth title in dramatic fashion back in April 2019. Will there be more magic when the 2020 edition is played for the first time in the fall and without fans? It’s just one of the things that will make the upcoming Masters so intriguing.

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Apart from his family, there are three people Tiger Woods keeps closer than anyone else. His agent, Mark Steinberg, who has represented Woods since he turned professional. His caddie, Joe LaCava, who has looped for Woods since 2011. And his longtime friend and practice partner, Rob McNamara.

In this roundtable discussion with our Henni Zuel, Team Tiger discuss all that went into Tiger’s remarkable victory at the 2019 Masters. McNamara gives insights into Woods’ scheduling and preparation, and when he knew his bud had a real chance to win a fifth green jacket. LaCava takes you inside the ropes with stories about not just that incredible Sunday, but the entire week, which began with a serene practice session and ended with LaCava taking pictures at Hooters. Steinberg relives being the most nervous he’s ever been.

The discussion touches on much more than just that week—all three men tell stories about their experiences working with the greatest golfer of his generation.

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By Joel Beall
Tiger Woods is back, a notion signalled with intoxicating runs in 2018, confirmed at last year’s Masters and reiterated with dazzling displays in Japan and Australia. That doesn’t mean Tiger Woods is back, or at least what the sport wants that word to mean.

Woods is passing on the Players Championship, his body not ready for competition according to agent Mark Steinberg. On the surface it’s easy to view this as a troubling development. The Players is the PGA Tour’s flagship tournament and an event Woods has won twice. Woods also skipped the WGC-Mexico Championship and Arnold Palmer Invitational, stops where officials felt confident Woods would play. That there are just three tournaments between the Players, and the one conducted down Magnolia Lane, does not quell apprehension. Coupled with the hysteria and fervour that follow Tiger’s every decision, no wonder fans and media were quick to hypothesize what is wrong with Woods.

Only there’s (likely) nothing wrong with Woods. This is merely his new normal.

In a career marked by the extraordinary, the past two calendar years have bordered on the surreal. There is the Augusta triumph, obviously, along with wins in Atlanta and Tokyo. But also the fledgeling comeback moments at Innisbrook and Bay Hill, the near-miss at Carnoustie, the magic at Bellerive and the charge at Royal Melbourne. And yet all those grandiose performances camouflage a lot of “other” moments. Moments we’d rather not talk about, for they muddle the narrative.

The no-shows at Bethpage and Portrush, running out of gas during the 2018 Ryder Cup and last year’s FedEx Cup Playoffs. Sitting himself on Day 3 of the Presidents Cup because his body was acting up, missing Bay Hill (where he’s won eight times) and now TPC Sawgrass. Each item has its own explanation, but to not see a through-line—for a 44-year-old who can cash in a “Buy 9 surgeries, get the 10th free” card—is obtuse.

These observations can be a tough swallow, for while Woods is no longer on the sidelines for entire seasons, they are reminders that, eventually, Tigermania will end. Every skipped event or whisper of an injury conjures a past that fans would like to forget, or a future they are not ready for.

Except this is a sentiment Woods does not refute. Quite the opposite.

At nearly every stop along the way since his latest return in 2018, Woods has called it a process, in the present tense. The six-hour preparations before a round, the limited practice, being more selective with his schedule because playing can become a zero-sum exercise, and the days where the “feels” just aren’t there. He will never be back, not to what he once was, because he physically can’t.

Richard Heathcote/Getty Images

It’s not an admission of defeat as much as it is truth, and something that captures Woods’ fascination.

“That’s the fun part of trying to figure this whole comeback. How much do I play? When do I play? Do I listen to the body or do I fight through it? There are some things I can push and some things I can’t,” Woods said at the Genesis Invitational, his last Tour appearance, in February. “And so I had a theory this year that I may play about the same amount. What did I play, 12 times last year, and so that’s kind of my number for the year … just because of the physical toll and I want to stay out here for just a little bit longer.”

Discounting the fall’s Zozo (which is part of this season), Woods has played two official tour events in 2020. Factoring in the majors, Memorial, the playoffs, it now appears that 10 starts this year would be ambitious. It’s also a number that falls roughly in line with how often Nicklaus played during his Age 44 season (13 events). Vijay Singh and Phil Mickelson are the outliers; one’s 40s are not conducive to professional golf.

Forget that number and focus on the final comment. Perhaps we’ve been looking at Woods, his return and what it’s meant, all wrong. For the game wants Woods to win Tour title No. 83, to catch Jack’s major record of 18, to be “back.” These are goals Woods could very well obtain. But Woods is focused on a different ambition, something elementary to say yet frustratingly difficult to achieve: I want to stay out here for just a little bit longer.

Doing so means adhering to a fluid schedule, one in constant need of recalibration. It’s time fans do the same with their expectations. After all, after years of absence, Tiger Woods is back. Now is not the time for greed.

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If Woods stays in private housing, he’ll likely bring his personal chef, who is paid to cook, not watch him play golf. Oh, and he’ll have man’s best friend in tow when he travels. That would be his bodyguard, the big dude walking nearby who you shouldn’t mess with.

But, yes, that also means taking one of his three dogs along on most trips. There’s Taz, Yogi and Bugs. Only a handful of trusted individuals occupy the Woods orbit regularly as he competes. By now, it’s largely a recognisable group.

Mark Steinberg: Woods retained Steinberg as his agent in 1998 after fring Hughes Norton, and in 2011 Woods followed Steinberg from IMG to Excel Sports Management, where Steinberg is a partner and heads the golf division. A native of Peoria, Ill., Steinberg, 51, attended the University of Illinois and made the basketball team as a walk-on. In a 2016 interview, he said of his relationship with Woods: “We are unwavering in our commitment to each other.” Steinberg’s client list includes the likes of Justin Thomas, Justin Rose and Matt Kuchar.

Glenn Greenspan: Greenspan has been Woods’ spokesman since 2008 after leaving another high-profile job, that of the first director of communications at Augusta National Golf Club and the Masters Tournament. A graduate of Florida State University, where he covered golf for the sports information department, Greenspan, 60, came to Augusta National in 1996. Previously, the New York native worked for the PGA Tour and Gary Player Design.

Joe LaCava: LaCava has been on Woods’ bag since 2011, after working for Dustin Johnson for about four months. LaCava, 55, is a native of Newtown, Conn. His cousin, Ken Green, a former PGA Tour player, got him started in the field when he asked LaCava to replace his sister Shelley as his caddie starting in 1987. After three years with Green, LaCava began a 20-plus-year run with Fred Couples.

Rob McNamara: A contemporary who has known Woods since their junior-golf days in Southern California, McNamara is a vice president of Woods’ TGR Ventures. A graduate of Santa Clara University, McNamara, 43, is Woods’ most trusted confidant, and he usually can be seen walking in lockstep with Tiger at a tournament site. McNamara is a scratch golfer who worked at IMG from 2000-’05 before joining Tiger. He knows Woods’ swing and serves as a second set of eyes now that Woods has chosen to go without an instructor.

Erica Herman: Herman made her first public appearance with Woods at the 2017 Presidents Cup, where Woods was a captain’s assistant to Steve Stricker. Herman, 34, was a manager at Woods’ restaurant in Florida, The Woods Jupiter, and now lives with Tiger.

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By Alex Myers
When it comes to Team Tiger, longtime caddie Joe LaCava and even longer time agent Mark Steinberg are faces every golf fan recognizes. But there’s often a third guy flanking Tiger Woods at tournaments. And on Wednesday he gave a rare interview. With Woods by his side.

Meet Rob McNamara, officially a vice president for TGR Ventures, but unofficially, a second set of eyes for Woods’ golf swing. That second role has become especially important with Woods no longer employing a swing coach, although, he has been spotted working on his putting with Matt Killen at this week’s Players Championship. And in GOLFTV’s latest video instalment with Woods, McNamara and the 14-time major champ talked about their unique working relationship that dates back to their junior golf days in southern California.

“I mean he knows my game,” said Woods, who estimates the two have played 500 rounds of golf together. “One, he’s a good player. Two, he’s got a good eye and he has seen me go through changes and iterations in the game of golf, but at the end of the day I try and use Rob for what I’m trying to work on now, because right now it’s different, because I’m limited what I can do, and not only am I limited in what I can do, I’m limited in how much I can practice.”

Because of that limited practice schedule following Woods’ comeback from a back fusion operation in 2017, the two don’t spend much time talking the technical aspects of the swing.

“Because I’ve played with him so much and practised with him so much over the years I kind of know what it should look like or what typically he’s trying to do,” said McNamara, who played collegiately at Santa Clara and began working on Tiger’s IMG account at 25. “And a lot of it this last year is Tiger is typically telling me, ‘Hey, I’m feeling this. Will you just watch and make sure I’m not doing this or I am doing this?’ Then all I’m doing is kind of quickly confirming it for him, yes, and then kind of backing away.”

Watch the full interview with Woods, McNamara and GOLFTV’s Henni Zuel here:

.@TigerWoods hasn’t had an official coach since 2017, but his lifelong friend and Team Tiger member Rob McNamara knows his swing better than anyone and serves as a trusted second set of eyes. pic.twitter.com/uoNV0Q0cRb

— GOLFTV (@GOLFTV) March 13, 2019

Woods withdrew from last week’s Arnold Palmer Invitational with a stiff neck but will attempt to win a third Players title this week.

“We’ll see how everything goes here,” Woods said when discussing his neck at his Tuesday press conference. “This is an important week. I’m going to focus on this week, and then I’ll let you guys know later in the week.”

Either way, you can count on Rob McNamara being one of the first to know.

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By Alex Myers
It appears the saga of Matt Kuchar’s substitute caddie at the Mayakoba Golf Classic, a local looper nicknamed El Tucan who helped guide Kuchar to his first PGA Tour win in more than four years, did not have a happy ending.

The Mexican caddie, whose real name is David Giral Ortiz, made his first comments regarding the hotly debated issue of how he was compensated to Golf Magazine’s Michael Bamberger. Ortiz confirmed a widely circulated rumour he had only received $5,000 following Kuchar’s win in November—and that he wasn’t satisfied.

“I am a humble man, who takes care of his family, and works hard. I am reaching out to you to see if you can facilitate me receiving a fair amount for my help with Matt winning $1,296,000,” Ortiz wrote in an email obtained by Bamberger to Kuchar’s agent, Mark Steinberg. “I am not looking to disparage Matt or give him a bad name. Fair is fair, and I feel like I was taken advantage of by placing my trust in Matt.”

Ortiz also shared the one response he’s received from Steinberg, which read, “ I am out of the country. What Matt has offered is fair.”

Ortiz, who is a full-time club caddie, told Bamberger he had hoped to make as much as $130,000, or the typical 10 percent a tour caddie makes if his player wins. However, he felt $50,000 would have been fair compensation. It’s a figure he’s been seeking from Kuchar since, and although he was offered an additional $15,000 for a total of $20,000, Ortiz declined.

Ortiz said he and Kuchar had an agreement for $3,000 plus an unspecified amount of the player’s winnings. He was disappointed when he counted $5,000 in the envelope Kuchar handed him that Sunday night.

What had been a feel-good story took a turn when PGA Tour pro Tom Gillis began tweeting in January about Ortiz only getting paid $3,000. Kuchar was asked about it at that week’s Sony Open, which he wound up winning with his regular caddie, John Wood, on the bag. “That’s not a story,” said Kuchar, who was very complimentary of Ortiz following the win at Mayakoba. “It wasn’t 10 percent. It wasn’t $3,000.”

Turns out, it was a lot closer to the latter.

On the bright side, Ortiz says he is getting more caddie gigs at the Mayakoba resort since adding a PGA Tour win to his résumé. But despite mostly good memories working for Kuchar, who is in this field at this week’s Genesis Open, he has changed his mind about doing it again if the opportunity arises at next year’s event.

“Matt is a good person and a great player,” Ortiz said. “He treated me very well. I am only disappointed by how it all finished.”

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Woods, who was playing with a different group of friends and who was also joined by his caddie Joe LaCava, “looked good,” according to Baker-Finch, who watched the 14-time major champion hit balls on the range as well as some of the shots through the course of his round.

“His swing was smooth,” Baker-Finch told GolfDigest.com via phone. “He looked normal.

“Obviously it’s easier when you’re in your own environment with your buddies than when it’s for real, but he looks to me like he can play golf. I guess a lot of people thought he would never play golf again.”

Now, however, exists the possibility that he could return as soon as his Hero World Challenge Nov. 30-Dec. 3 at Albany in the Bahamas.

Though no one who witnessed Woods’ latest round at Medalist could say for sure when he will play again — Woods’ agent Mark Steinberg didn’t immediately respond to an email seeking comment — those in attendance do think playing in the event is a possibility for the tournament host.

According to one source, while Woods was walking gingerly around Medalist his power in this latest session was evident. Woods has also been a fixture at the club in recent weeks after having been a ghost all summer.

“He’s been out there a lot lately, which is good to see,” the source said. “He looked really good to me hitting balls on the range. He was hitting driver high and far.”

It has been nearly nine months since Woods has played golf competitively, his last round coming in early February in Dubai, where he shot an opening-round 77 and withdrew the following day because of back spasms. Two months later and after missing the Masters for a second consecutive year, he underwent a fourth back surgery and hasn’t pegged it since. During that time, he was also arrested on suspicion of DUI over Memorial Day weekend, a charge that is expected to be reduced on Friday to reckless driving as part of a Palm Beach County diversion program that Woods will likely agree to enter into.

During last month’s Presidents Cup, even Woods admitted that there is a scenario where he might never play again. Four days later, though, he posted a slow-mo video hitting chip shots, adding that his doctor had cleared him to start pitching.

Slowly, more videos began popping up. On Oct. 7, there was one of “smooth iron shots”; three days later another of Woods hosting a clinic and hitting balls alongside Kevin Chappell; five days after that one of Woods hitting driver at Medalist with the words “Making Progress” in the tweet; and a day after that an ESPN report that he has been cleared by doctors to resume full golf activities with no restrictions. Then the latest video, on Monday, “The Return of the Stinger,” in a play on the upcoming Star Wars movie.

Return of the Stinger. #starwars pic.twitter.com/R7srIDGXjl

— Tiger Woods (@TigerWoods) October 23, 2017

What does it all mean?

While none of the swings shown on Twitter carried anywhere near the speed of Woods’ heyday, or even that of high-level tour golf, they were at the very least promising.

Woods’ former coach, Hank Haney, responding to Woods’ video of the driver swing, said on Twitter, “That’s a swing he could win with, it’s not across the line and stuck inside coming down, a little stiff looking but it’s good enough.”

Everything seems to be pointing to a Woods return sooner than later. It also wouldn’t be the first time he returned from a long break in the Bahamas.

Last year, Woods came back there following a 15-month layoff that was preceded by two back operations. Though he led the field in birdies with 24 and shot 65 in the second round, he also led the 17-man field in double bogeys and finished two spots out of last place. He ended up playing only three more tournament rounds after that before injury forced him out again.

Wherever Woods returns, he has come a long way from where he was. Again, and at least for now.

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