With heavy rain forecasted at 2023 Masters, Joe LaCava ‘can’t imagine’ Tiger Woods going more than 18 holes

Inclement weather at this year’s Masters could pose some issues for Tiger Woods. 

The forecast in Augusta, Georgia, calls for a 50% chance of morning showers on Friday with rain increasing to 70% in the afternoon and the possibility of scattered thunderstorms. The forecast also projects a 90% chance of heavy rain on Saturday, accumulating 0.75-1.50 inches. And Sunday, there’s a 50% chance of morning showers. 

That could cause the suspension of a round, and if multiple rounds need to be played in a single day, Woods’ caddie, Joe LaCava, told the New York Post that Woods will struggle. 

Full-field tee times from the 87th Masters Tournament

“I can’t imagine [Woods] trying to go 27-plus holes [in one day] around here,” LaCava said. 

Woods was involved in a single-car crash in February 2021, suffering comminuted open fractures to both the tibia and fibula in his right leg. It was uncertain if he’d ever play competitive golf again.

The 15-time major champion, however, returned to competition at the 2022 Masters and made the cut. He’s made three Tour starts since, most recently at the Genesis Invitational in February, where he finished T-45 at 1 under overall. 

“I’m not going to play any more than probably the majors and maybe a couple more,” Woods said afterward. “That’s it, that’s all my body will allow me to do. My back the way it is, all the surgeries I had on my back, my leg the way it is, I just can’t. That’s just going to be my future.”

Now a year since his comeback at Augusta National, Woods has progressed. However, completing 72 holes is still — and likely always will be — a challenge. And if the weather forces Woods to play more than 18 holes in a day, that will make an already difficult task even harder. 

“He’s pretty banged up,” LaCava said. “If it wasn’t Augusta he probably wouldn’t be playing. … He still has the power, the swing speed, the shots and the length to contend. The injury is devastating, but if he could take a cart, he could contend tomorrow.”