Sawt Falasteen - Tiger works early as Masters set to deal with eclipse

Woods, making a comeback after ankle surgery last April, made a brief morning foray onto the back nine with new caddie Lance Bennett after a front-nine stroll on Sunday afternoon as the 15-time major winner prepared for his 26th Masters start.

The 48-year-old legend hopes to make his 24th consecutive Masters cut and break the tournament record he now shares with Gary Player and Fred Couples.

Woods, whose most recent major title came at the 2019 Masters, withdrew last year after making the cut due to plantar fasciitis.

He later underwent ankle surgery related to severe leg injuries suffered in a 2021 car crash that have limited his ability to walk 72 holes.

The five-time Masters winner withdrew from his comeback PGA event at Riviera in February due to illness.

Spectators at Augusta National received specially made glasses for the afternoon eclipse, complete with a Masters logo, with up to 76.1 percent of totality of the moon covering the sun expected over the famed course.

Dimmed conditions are forecast at the course for about 2.5 hours during the practice session, but there was expected to be sufficient light for players to complete work on the course or at the driving range and chipping area.

Augusta National posted on X that the optimal viewing area on the course would be at Amen Corner -- the famed 11th, 12th and 13th holes known more for Sunday drama than Monday stargazing.

It's not the first time the lights have gone out on the Masters.

There was an annular eclipse, when a ring of the sun is visible around the moon, during the final round of the 1940 Masters, when Jimmy Demaret fired a 71 to defeat Lloyd Mangrum by four strokes, what was then a record win margin for the event.

The field of 89 for the year's first major championship was completed by Akshay Bhatia, who qualified Sunday by winning the Texas Open.

The 22-year-old American is the first player to reach the finals of the junior Drive, Chip and Putt competition at Augusta National and qualify for the Masters. He competed in the inaugural edition of the youth event in 2014.

"Augusta National is obviously very special," Bhatia said. "As a kid going there for the first time in the inaugural Drive, Chip and Putt is pretty special, something I'll always remember."

F.Qawasmeh--SF-PST