Tiger Woods and caddie Joe LaCava arrive early at Augusta National
By Garrett Johnston ยท April 8, 2019
AUGUSTA, Ga. โ Tiger Woods arrived at Augusta National on Sunday afternoon and played a three-hour practice round.
With just his putter and wedge.
โI just got in,โ Woods said Sunday. โSo just getting a little feel for the golf course and how itโs playing.โ
The 14-time major champ walked the famed grounds on a calm but muggy late afternoon in preparation for his 22nd start in this tournament, which he last won in 2005.
He nearly had Augusta National to himself.
After the Drive, Chip & Putt finals concluded in the early afternoon, the course was then closed to the public, on a day that Woods was not originally planning to be on course.
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Thunderstorms are expected Monday, so that forecast may have influenced the four-time Masters winnerโs decision to play Sunday.
โItโs amazing what you can do when thereโs nobody out there,โ Woodsโ caddie Joe LaCava said. โWe saw nobody on the front nine except J.B. Holmes.โ
So was short game practice exclusively the plan all along?
โHe didnโt tell me, he said โweโre just going to go out to chip and putt,โโ LaCava said.
โSo I said โyeah Iโm all in.โโ
Any surprises with how the greens and chipping areas were playing Sunday?
โZero, none at all,โ Woods said.
What is a new topic of discussion is the lengthened, par-4 fifth hole.
Woods has made positive comments recently about the changes made there, a hole which was stretched to 495 yards, and he was singing the praises of the move on Sunday.
โIt looks exactly the same, like itโs always been there,โ Woods said.
โThatโs whatโs amazing about this place, they always do an amazing job, thereโs no scars, any time they make changes out here it just looks like itโs always been there.โ
LaCava echoed Woodsโ analysis.
โI thought it was good, he liked it, too,โ LaCava said. โI think everybodyโs going to like it. Itโs long, uphill. I think it looks good.โ
Thereโs a major excitement to this particular Masters with Woods healthy and in form, Phil Mickelson and Rory McIlroy coming off recent wins, and other top players coming in with momentum.
Woods makes his second consecutive start here after missing 2016 and 2017 with injury.
โYouโve got eight or 10 of the top players that are playing well at the same time, I think itโs fantastic,โ LaCava said.
โI think Tigerโs playing well, Roryโs playing good, Phil, DJ, Justin Thomas, Rahm, Jason Day. Everyoneโs playing well.โ
Itโs early in the week, but if Woods was able to come through and win that elusive 15th major at this venue and against this trending field, what might that be like?
โIt would be fun here more so than any (major),โ LaCava said, โbut it would be fun regardless, but itโs the Sunday before, I donโt want to get carried away.
โWe just gotta throw up a couple of good scores early on and see what happens.โ
