By CNN
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The sound of the klaxon which brought the third day of The Masters to an early end may have been music to Tiger Woods’ ears after the golf great endured a torrid start to his third round.
On a cold and damp Saturday, with the rain pummeling down, Woods could be seen limping as he went about what looked like the painful and exhausting task of making his way around the hilly Augusta course.
When organizers deemed that the persistent rain made the course unplayable, Woods was nine-over for the tournament and six-over for the round.
Before the severe leg injuries suffered in a 2021 car crash, Woods had undergone multiple surgeries on his back. Many would have understood had Woods withdrawn in such unforgiving conditions, but he displayed his usual grit and resilience to carry on even though hopes of winning a sixth green jacket had long since faded.
Starting on the 10th hole, as organizers tried to get as much of the play completed as possible after the second round was suspended on Friday because of bad weather, Woods began with a bogey.
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Neither the conditions nor his form improved much after that. Another bogey on the 14th and double bogeys on the 15th and 16th left the 47-year-old bottom of the leaderboard with the worst score of the day.
The five-time Masters champion had had little time to enjoy making the cut at Augusta for a record-equaling 23rd consecutive time, starting his third round a few hours after completing the second round.
The third round will resume Sunday at 8:30 a.m ET, with the final round expected to start at 12:30 p.m. ET, The Masters said in a statement.
Tournament leader Brooks Koepka was one of just 11 golfers to shoot under par before the end of play, the four-time major winner extending his lead over second-placed John Rahm to four shots.
