The 46-year-old American, winner of 15 Majors, achieved a score of 78. His worst in a lap, in 24 participations in this event, the fatigue becoming stronger and stronger, in windy conditions not helping nothing.

"It was tough. Today was a challenge because the conditions were difficult. They were already difficult yesterday at the start, but at least we had a bit of a calm at the end. Today, the wind blew all day," Woods responded.

He totals +7 after 54 holes and is temporarily sailing around 40th place.

Far from the leader, the world No.1 Scottie Scheffler, who, halfway through, continued to fly over the debates (-11).

Like the day before, Woods conceded an entry bogey, but immediately recovered with a birdie on the N.2, by making a superb exit from the bunker which almost made an eagle.

After paring on the next two holes, he committed his first double-bogey of the tournament at N.5, betrayed by a deficient putt.

American Tiger Woods leaves the 13th hole after scoring a birdie, during the 3rd round of the Augusta Masters (Georgia), April 9, 2022 Gregory Shamus GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP

"I must have hit about a thousand today," Woods railed.

"I did what I was supposed to do when it came to hitting the ball, but I did absolutely the opposite on the greens. I just had no feel."

Ephemeral thinning

Woods bogey again at N.9 then at N.11, the first segment of the Amen Corner, where the Masters are often won and lost.

But he reacted like a champion, with two consecutive birdies at N.12 and N.13, which complete the most difficult triptych of the course.

An ephemeral thinning in the day of the Tiger, which then chained two other bogeys on the 16th and 17th holes, before collapsing on the last with another double-bogey.

American Tiger Woods, after returning a card of 78 (6 over par), during the 3rd round of the Augusta Masters (Georgia), April 9, 2022 Gregory Shamus GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP

If his golf and his physique were in pain, he nevertheless knew how to hang on and go the distance.

Which is quite a victory in itself.

Because he had narrowly avoided the amputation of his right leg, after his exit from the road on February 23, 2021 near Los Angeles, for the multiple open fractures which finally required him to insert a metal rod in the tibia, and screws to strengthen the bones of the foot and ankle.

Woods had been hospitalized for weeks and unable to walk for months.

But, his body already bruised by countless injuries, he once again managed to get up, to achieve a return that no one expected so quickly in Augusta, after 17 months without playing (his last tournament was the 2020 edition). of the Masters).

© 2022 AFP