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AUGUSTA. — Five-time champion Tiger Woods has withdrawn from the Masters because of injury, hours before the resumption of the third round yesterday.

The 47-year-old was six over par after seven holes of his third round before heavy rain stopped play on Saturday.

That had left him last of the 54 remaining players on nine over overall.

Woods had earlier battled to go beyond the halfway stage — equalling the record set by Gary Player and Fred Couples of 23 consecutive cuts made. The 15-time major champion said on social media he had re-aggravated his plantar fasciitis, which is tissue inflammation that causes pain in the heel. After starting his delayed third round on the 10th tee, Woods appeared to be troubled by pain in his right leg as he played the 17th hole, moments before the wet weather caused play to be abandoned.

He feared his leg would have to be amputated after suffering serious injuries in a car accident in Los Angeles in February 2021, though he made a remarkable return 14 months later to once again make the cut at last year’s Masters.

Speaking in the build-up to this year’s championship, Woods said that his comeback was “a small victory in itself” and that he “doesn’t know how many more I have in me”. — BBC Sport