Augusta – Defending champion Tiger Woods is struggling to get used to the new date for the Golf Masters in Augusta.
«It’s hard to get these habits out. My head has been trained and used to these processes and times for years, »he said in an interview with Golf TV. «My body was ready. That was crazy. I had to tell myself: you are not playing this week. » Because of the coronavirus pandemic, the tournament should be rescheduled in November.
Woods had surprisingly won the tournament for the fifth time last year, 14 years after his previous victory in Georgia. “So I didn’t want to keep the jacket any longer. I wanted to be there and conquer it again, like in 2002. But these are not normal circumstances. It is not the normal world. It’s different for all of us, »said Woods. The winner traditionally gets a green jacket.
He had been in Augusta for 25 years and even had the Champions Dinner at home with his family the night before the actual start of the tournament, where he was allowed to choose the menu as the defending champion. The tournament should have taken place from April 9th to 12th, but is postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic. The traditional tournament is now to be played from November 9th to 15th.
“We would like to emphasize that our future plans depend on favorable advice and instructions from the health authorities,” said the chairman of Augusta National Golf Club, Fred Ridley, in a statement published on Monday on the tournament’s website.
