Tiger Woods withdraws from The Masters as brutal clip of golf legend sparks fresh concerns | Golf | Sport

Woods’ long-time caddie and close confidant Joe LaCava admitted before the tournament had begun that his “biggest fear” was seeing the golfing superstar have to play more than one round in the same day.

“My biggest fear going in … is we get a lot of rain and thunderstorms and we get the stop and start, or we get extra holes one day,” LaCava said. “I can’t imagine him going 27-plus holes [in one day] around here. … I’m hoping first and foremost that doesn’t happen.”

It’s a testament to Woods’ skillset that he was even able to make the cut for the weekend, creating history in the process. It was the 23rd consecutive cut he had made at The Masters, drawing level with Gary Player and Freddie Couples’ record.

But his painful withdrawal from the tournament will raise serious concerns on when – or if – Woods will return to competitive golf again.