Tiger Woods and his perennial return to form can be a curious thing for spectators. On one hand it's Tiger and it would be great to see the 14 time major claim at least one more but on the other, there's still a small part of you that takes some sick pleasure in seeing him struggle. If there's not, then you're better people than we are.
Woods is a legend of the game without a doubt but, rightly or wrongly, his, at times, divisive personality means that he has a large amount of critics for someone who has done so much for the game.
Case in point, Masters Sunday yesterday. Going out in the third last grouping, all was set for Woods to confirm that he was back among the best in the world.
His one over par round hasn't put paid to that possibility but it wasn't what Woods was looking for either. Much like the first day of the tournament, he seemed to be playing well to card a 73. It was an agitated performance as opposed to the Woods of old who was coolness personified. Something which was summed up by this moment on the ninth hole.
Woods, who was already looking quite agitated with his round, hit his approach to nine out of the pine needles but caught a hidden root. He winced immediately and thoughts immediately sprang to an injured, and at times helpless, Woods limping around the course in recent months.
However, he regrouped, finished out the round and then made a rather unusual claim when he came back in. A 'bone popped out' in his wrist at the ninth and he casually put it back in.
Given that that does seem rather unlikely, quite a few people were quick to cast suspicion over Woods' claims.
Did Tiger Woods just say he popped a bone back into place in his hand? Tiger, M.D. … Sounds intense
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 12, 2015
@JohnFogartyIrl smell of bullshit off him #TigerWoods #tigershittalk
— Alan Walsh (@AlanWalalan2) April 12, 2015
Tiger's claim about popping a bone back in is like saying you cured a cruciate with SudoCrem and a Disprin #doubtful
— Kevin Mc Gillicuddy (@KMcGillicuddy86) April 12, 2015
Wait, Tiger claimed he popped a bone back into place, but then played the back 9? pic.twitter.com/7lheGjQDgo
— Patrick Fenelon 🌹 (@Patrick_Fenelon) April 12, 2015
Think tiger fist bumped a kid on the way to 10 tee to pop the bone back in. #bigcat
— Kelly Kraft (@kkraft11) April 12, 2015
WHAT? Tiger says "a bone popped out" in his wrist and he was "able to put it back in"??? Really?
— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) April 12, 2015
Tiger on when he hit a root:
"Well the bone kind of popped out and the joint went out of place but I put it back in."
UM, WHAT?!— SportsNation (@SportsNation) April 12, 2015
Tiger just told Macatee a bone popped out of his wrist, "but I put it back in."
Macatee: "Really?"
TW: "Yeah"
Ladies/gents, The Bionic Man.— Brian Murphy (@knbrmurph) April 12, 2015
Bone popped out?! Shut up Tiger #Soft
— Ryan Fischer (@RyanFischerSC) April 12, 2015
Tiger saying "a bone popped out and I put it back in" about his wrist is so preposterous I have to respect it. Gonna start using that.
— Russ Stein (@Only1Russ_Stein) April 12, 2015
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