Tiger Woods endured an extremely difficult moving day at Augusta National on Saturday, after the five-time Masters champion carded a 10-over-par 82 in his third round

Tiger Woods has admitted his golf game is ‘rusty’ on the back of shooting his worst ever 18-hole score at a major championship in the third round at the Masters on Sunday.

Woods made history for all the right reasons on Friday, after making a record-breaking 24th consecutive cut at the Masters. Just 24 hours later though the five-time major champion then recorded an unwanted record of his own, after posting the worst performance of his major career.

Starting the day at one-over-par for the tournament, the 82-time PGA Tour winner’s front nine on Saturday was a chaotic one, starting with three pars, before making three bogeys, two double bogeys and a birdie from his next six holes.

The back nine proved to be more of the same, as despite making a birdie at the par-five 13th, five more bogeys filled his scorecard, which saw him finish with a 10-over 82. Woods’ struggles have been well documented in recent years, having been in a constant fitness battle with his body on the back of a career-threatening car crash in 2021.

As a result, the 15-time major champion is making just his second start of the season, and just his eighth PGA Tour start in two years following his initial comeback at the 2022 Masters. Unsurprisingly, Woods is far from his scintillating best amid his lack of playing time, and alluded to this post-round on Saturday.

“I’ve learnt my game is rusty,” he told Sky Sports. “I really don’t play much, especially competitively. That is the thing you can’t simulate at home. Especially these hills, these shots – the golf course played hard, at least for me.” On day one and two Woods had shown glimmers of his former self in order to book his place for the weekend.

Tiger Woods endured a tough round at Augusta ( Image: Getty Images)

In previous outings Woods has been visibly in pain whilst competing, with a limp often making an appearance during his strides. The limp in question had not been prominent throughout Thursday and Friday, but Saturday’s outing proved to be much more testing for the 48-year-old.

The American has gone 18 holes better than last season, after he was forced to withdraw from the opening major of the year in 2023 prior to the third round due to an ankle injury. And whilst this problem has since been rectified via surgery, Woods is still battling injury issues elsewhere.

“Well, the ankle doesn’t hurt anymore,” he said pre-tournament. It’s fused. It’s not going anywhere. So that’s fine. It’s other parts of my body that now have to take the brunt of it.” With a smile, he later added: ” I hurt every day. I ache. No, I ache every day. And I prefer it warm and humid and hot. And I know we’re going to get some thunderstorms. So at least it will be hot. It won’t be like last year.”