"I’m Playing On One Leg, Plus I Haven’t Had A Scorecard In My Hand For 18 months"

The 1991 champion Ian Woosnam is battling a groin problem in his first tournament back for a year and a half

Ian Woosnam, playing in his first tournament for 18 months and it just so happens to be The Masters, is battling a groin injury as he attempts to make his first cut at Augusta since 2008. The last time the 63-year-old played a competitive round was at the back end of 2019, at the Forest of Arden on the Legends Tour in Europe, and his body is now struggling with the hills and expanses of Augusta.

“I’ve pulled a muscle because I've tried to hit the ball a bit further. I've strained my right groin, I did it the other day. I've been here over the weekend, just trying to hit it further.”

Woosnam went out in 40 but then picked up a rare birdie at the 10th and the competitor in him kept him out there.

“I was thinking of coming in after 11, I was scoring quite well. It had been bothering me all day on Wednesday from the first shot really, and it just got worse. It’s in a place where it's not going to go away. Being that I'm stupid, I'll most probably play, get out there, and if it is unplayable, I'll just have to come in.”

In the end the Welshman signed for a 76, there was another birdie at the 13th, but he found the water at the 15th after trying to rip a fairway wood and he found sand at the last, the scene of historic win 30 years ago.

“I'm playing on one leg really, so yeah. Plus I haven't had a scorecard in my hand for 18 months, so I was pretty damned pleased really. I've been practicing on my SkyTrack at home and everything trying to get myself ready for that. I was plain looking forward to it and, all of a sudden, it's the same old thing.

“After the back operation I feel pretty good and then I get to this place and it just tears me apart. When I don't play golf I'm fantastic. On a pretty flat course, I'm pretty good, but as soon as you get on this course, you're on different slopes and everything, you're twisting your hips all different ways, you're hitting off up slopes, downslopes. You've got to be physically fit for this course.”