Louis Oosthuizen withdraws from the Masters 2022 before the second round on Friday.
AUGUSTA, Georgia — During the second round of the 86th Masters on Friday, Tiger Woods will be without a playing companion. Louis Oosthuizen withdrew from the competition before the 1:41 p.m. tee time, leaving Woods and Joaquin Niemann to play as a twosome during the afternoon round.
The reason for Oosthuizen’s WD was not given by tournament organisers. The South African, who is competing in his 14th Masters, struggled in the first round on Thursday, shooting a four-over 76 that includes a three-over back nine. On Thursday, after striking his second shot on the par-5 second hole, Oosthuizen felt for his lower back with his left hand, prompting TV commentators to speculate that anything was wrong.
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With Woods scoring a one-under 71 in his first competitive round since the 2020 Masters and Niemann shooting a three-under 69, Oosthuizen had the poorest of the three scores in his threesome.
On Friday, the weather prediction calls for gusty conditions, which are already posing a problem for participants on Day 2. It’s unknown how Woods and Niemann will manage the circumstances while playing as a twosome. After Paul Casey withdrew before the first round, the pairing ahead of Woods and Niemann is also a twosome—Bryson DeChambeau and Cameron Smith.
Oosthuizen’s best Masters result was in 2012, when he lost in a playoff to Bubba Watson.
