Masters: Tiger Woods, contender or pretender, it doesn't matter at Augusta

AUGUSTA, Ga. — They gathered around the first tee full of hope and nostalgia, a powerful, if often fruitless cocktail for golf fans. By the time their hero hit Amen Corner, amid a stiff breeze and gathering darkness, he was met with a standing ovation.

This is the Masters and that was Tiger Woods in the middle of another throng of fans, craning their necks to see him smack a drive 272 yards up the hill of the first fairway of Augusta National or save par from some mulch behind 12 or punch out from the pine straw on 13 or so on.

His day would end at 1-under after 13 holes, dwindling daylight causing a suspension of play. He was six shots behind leader Bryson DeChambeau. Tiger will finish this round Friday beginning at 7:50 a.m., then turn around for a scheduled 10:18 a.m. start to round two. At stake is his 24th consecutive cut here, another of his records.

“The wind was all over the place,” Tiger said. “It was one of the most tricky days that I’ve ever been a part of. It was hard to get a beat, not only on what direction it was going, but the intensity ... It was a very difficult day.”

It’s been five years since he last won here in a stunning, magical, inspiring performance that still fuels everything. It’s been many more since he entered the event considered a true contender.

It’s been three years since a car accident nearly killed him.

His ankle aches. His back hurts. His knee tightens.

“The body's just … things just flare up,” Woods said this week.

No matter. Not to his fans. Not to his faithful. Television viewers can roll their eyes or rage under their breath about ESPN or CBS showing too many Tiger shots, but his popularity, and the passion that pours from it, remains without comparison, no matter what that big, white scoreboard says.

This wasn’t even about the score, let alone the pursuit of a sixth green jacket at 48 years old. Maybe he can keep it up. Maybe he can make a run. Maybe he can’t.

For the fans, it was the chance to see the legend at least one more time, making one more shot. Maybe it was the birdies on Nos. 1 and 8. Maybe it was the left-handed shot out of the trees on No. 2. Maybe it was just another towering drive.

They called his name and hung on every roll of the ball.

He would walk the course with a purpose, each step seemingly thought out, like he was already trying to pace himself for 36, let alone 72 holes.

When asked about how he felt, he noted, “We’ve got some work to do tonight."

It was an effort built on pride that he still could, appreciation that at some point he won’t and perhaps delusion that he might still contend.

Although considering his charges around this place, maybe nothing is ever delusional for Tiger at Augusta.

That’s what the crowd wanted to believe, at least, even if they knew the weather-delayed start to Thursday didn’t help. A younger Tiger would have scoffed at the challenge of 23 holes on Friday. Who knows, he might have slipped an extra workout in between, or at least grinded at the range.

That guy doesn’t exist anymore.

“My practice sessions certainly aren't what they used to be,” he said. “I used to live on the range or live on a short-game facility and just be out there all day. That's no longer the case … I just really don't have the ball count in me anymore.”

None of that mattered to the thousands of fans ringing this course. Many would follow along the whole way, crowding through crossways up and down these Augusta hills, trying to find any glimpse of their guy.

Tiger was playing Augusta and playing it pretty well. Maybe it isn’t enough to contend or even, in the end, make the cut.

No one cheering his name seemed to care.