AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) 鈥� Tiger Woods was a big part of the conversation Monday at the Masters without even being at Augusta National. His absence stemming from brought a degree of criticism from Jason Day.
Florida authorities determined Woods was impaired March 27 when his Land Rover struck a trailer and flipped on its side on a residential street. They found two painkiller pills in his pocket. Woods was arrested and briefly jailed for refusing to submit to a urine test.
鈥淗e’s just a human being like everyone else and we have struggles,鈥� Day said. “It’s unfortunate. The only thing that I don’t understand is that it’s a little bit selfish of him to drive and put other people in harm’s way, as well.
鈥淏ut when you’re the player that he was and how strong-willed he is, he thinks he can do almost anything,鈥� Day said. 鈥淎nd that’s probably why he’s driving and a little bit under the influence.鈥�
This is the second straight year Woods has missed the Masters, under entirely different circumstances. He had ruptured his Achilles tendon in March of 2025 and didn’t even make it to the Masters Club dinner for champions.
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鈥淗e was my hero 鈥� he’s my hero,鈥� said Day, the Australian who reached No. 1 in the world a decade ago. 鈥淭he reason why I play golf is because of this tournament and Tiger. It鈥檚 hard to see him go through what he鈥檚 going through, and especially under the microscope. It must be hard to be who he is and have everything, everyone look on, kind of down on him.
鈥淪ome people want him to fail. Some people obviously want him to succeed,鈥� Day said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 really difficult for me to go through that and watch him, and I know that he鈥檚 getting the help now, which is good. I鈥檓 just hoping he comes out on the other side and is better.鈥�
Woods is a five-time champion at the Masters, the last one in 2019 to complete a most remarkable comeback in golf. In the 14 years between winning green jackets, he had reconstructive knee surgery (2008) and four back surgeries (2014-17), and of his running car (2017).
Since winning his last Masters, . He also had surgery on the Achilles tendon and a seventh back surgery last year.
Nick Faldo was particularly critical of Woods in an interview with Britain’s Daily Telegraph last week when he said, 鈥淭here are two sides to this right now. There鈥檚 one side that鈥檚 like … let鈥檚 care for Tiger. And then there has got to be a responsibility and an accountability side as well.鈥�
鈥淔orget about golf. We are not meant to be on the streets with two pills in our pocket,鈥� Faldo said. “The bottom line is that I really think that this is a serious issue and something should be done that is a little bit more serious than waving him off to a tropical island and saying, ‘Welcome back,鈥� in three or four months or whatever it might be.鈥�
Phil Mickelson, a three-time Masters champion who was a runner-up in 2023 at age 52, also is skipping the Masters as he deals with a family health matter at home. It’s the first time since 1994 neither Woods nor Mickelson was at Augusta National for the first major of the year.
Mickelson is with LIV Golf and plays on a big stage only four times a year at the majors. Jacob Bridgeman, one of the 22 newcomers to the Masters, didn’t know Mickelson wasn’t playing and is young enough in golf to have only played two majors with him last year.
Woods is a huge part of the Masters, not only from the records he shattered in 1997 at age 21 but recently with his work on a short course during the refurbishing of a municipal course in town known as 鈥淭he Patch.鈥� He also is opening a TGR Learning Lab in Augusta.
鈥淗e鈥檚 such a legend in this game, somebody I looked up to,鈥� Harris English said. 鈥淲atching him win around this place in 鈥�97 is kind of the reason I started getting into golf. I know he鈥檚 going to get through this. He has a big fight ahead of him. He鈥檚 a fighter. That鈥檚 what he does.鈥�
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