Masters Isn't The Same With Tiger Woods And Phil Mickelson Missing From Augusta

AUGUSTA, Ga. — Tiger Woods is everyplace and obscurity astatine Augusta National this week.

In nan aftermath of past month’s rollover car mishap and DUI charge, nan five-time Masters victor has stepped distant from play indefinitely and reportedly could beryllium receiving treatment successful Switzerland for an addiction to painkillers.

“He’s not immune to it conscionable because he tin deed a play shot really well,” chap competitor Jason Day said. “He’s had 25 to 30-something surgeries, and erstwhile you’re going done that galore procedures, it’s achy coming retired of those procedures. I’ve had procedures done and I typically effort and enactment distant from each that worldly because I conscionable cognize that — painkillers, location tin perchance beryllium a downfall to it.”

Harris English, playing successful his seventh Masters, said he took an liking successful play aft watching Woods astatine Augusta successful 1997.

“I cognize he’s going to get done this,” English said. “He has a large conflict up of him. He’s a fighter. That’s what he does. He’s going to get done it and travel retired a amended man and a amended person. We dream to spot him soon.”

This marks nan first clip since 1994 that neither Woods nor Phil Mickelson is playing successful nan Masters. Mickelson announced past week that he was pulling retired of nan tourney because of a “personal wellness matter” successful his family.

In 1 sense, it’s nan extremity of a storied era. But it mightiness beryllium much connected nan minds of nan patrons than nan different competitors successful nan field.

“With awesome respect to those 2 players, I hadn’t thought astir it,” said Justin Rose, who mislaid to Rory McIlroy successful a Masters playoff past year. “Yeah, they’ve some been evidently titans of nan crippled for nan past 3 decades. Clearly successful a tourney for illustration this, if you’re a past champion, you get an opportunity to travel backmost — whether they’re 1,000 successful nan world aliases 500 successful nan world aliases immoderate existent rankings whitethorn be, their stature is measurement much elevated than that successful nan crippled of play and ever will be.

“Yeah, it’s ever a nonaccomplishment to not person either of them successful a section anywhere. To your point, I hadn’t noticed it yet. Therefore, we’re each benignant of successful our ain lane, truthful to speak.”

Phil Mickelson tees disconnected during nan U.S. Open successful June 2025.

(Carolyn Kaster / Associated Press)

Two-time Masters victor Bubba Watson said successful nan lawsuit of Woods, play isn’t — and shouldn’t beryllium — portion of nan discussion.

“I [couldn’t] attraction little astir Tiger’s golf,” Watson said. “I’ve ever been successful his ear. I told him that I wanted to beryllium present for his adjacent major. I was present successful ’19. We were successful nan champions locker and I made a batch of nan champions travel down to congratulate him. That was very emotional.

“I told him from time 1 that we started hanging retired backmost successful ‘06, ‘07, location successful there, that I’m pulling for him arsenic a quality being — hide his golf.”

Woods, 50, was arrested March 27 connected Jupiter Island, Fla., pursuing a two-car rollover crash. Police recovered 2 hydrocodone pills successful his pouch and noticed he was lethargic and sweating profusely. He precocious underwent his seventh backmost surgery.

“When I look astatine that, I look astatine it and go, he’s conscionable a quality being for illustration everyone other and we person struggles,” Day said. “It’s unfortunate. The only point that I don’t understand is that it’s a small spot selfish of him to thrust and put different group successful harm’s measurement arsenic well. But erstwhile you’re nan subordinate that he was and really strong-willed he is, he thinks he tin do almost anything, and that’s astir apt why he’s astir apt driving a small nether nan influence.”

Day said it’s astir important for Woods to cognize he has truthful galore group pulling for him.

“It must beryllium reliable to beryllium isolated nan measurement he is normally,” he said. “He stays astatine location beautiful overmuch astir of nan time, doesn’t really get retired excessively overmuch conscionable because of really celebrated he is arsenic a person. And past erstwhile you’re astatine home, it’s conscionable difficult. Sometimes you don’t person group astir — loving group astir capable — to beryllium capable to steer you successful nan guidance that you request to.

“Golf misses him. We miss him present this week. It’s ever amended erstwhile he’s playing play tournaments because we emotion having him around. So it’s a small spot sad to not person him present this week.”