5 things noticed from following Tiger Woods for 3 holes at the Masters

Tiger Woods has made a return to the Masters this year, with the event only his second of 2024, and the presence of the 15-time major winner is a sight to behold

He is the most recognised individual on the planet. He is the richest golfer to have ever played the game. And he brings an energy to a golf course quite like no one else.

And this year Tiger Woods is back at the Masters. It's been a tough ride for the 48-year-old over the past couple of years. He nearly lost his leg in a car crash in 2021, he required ankle fusion surgery after withdrawing from the Masters last year, and he's only played in one event this year - which again he withdrew from.

But Augusta National is a second home for Woods. It's the one tournament he will fight through the pain barrier - which is constant he says - to compete in. And if he makes the cut this year, he will be the first person in tournament history to make 24 in a row.

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Mirror Sport is on the ground at Augusta National this year and we decided to follow Woods for a few holes. As difficult as it was to see the living legend among the hundreds of fans desperate to get a glimpse we did manage to notice these five things...

The crowd control

We're not talking about beefed-up security guards keeping everyone in check. We're talking about the conductor-like power he has over those watching. As you'd expect, Woods is the most watched of any player on the course and fighting to see every shot perfectly can be an issue. Fans often jump down the fairway to see his next shot or take up a spot near the green to see his approach and putt.

But whenever Woods is nearby, the air is different. Fans go deathly quiet when he takes his shot, there's no nattering at the back you might expect to hear when other players are taking a stroke. When he stepped away from his tee shot at Hole 6, fans gasped. Rather unnecessarily but still.

When he approached the green he was greeted with a cheer players would normally receive walking up the 18th while leading on Sunday. You can almost hear the intake of breath as every fan attempts to suck the ball into the hole for a birdie or par. There's even an awkward silence while he takes his time figuring out the best line - 'Let the man do his job! '

When a putt is missed there is a feeling of absolute devastation - fans almost too dejected to even react. When he holes out there is a roar. He has absolute power over everyone watching and is a magnet. After every hit fans bustle to get a view of the next one as he walks down the hole.

The walk

To look at Woods you'd think he's in excellent shape. A fit, muscular, athletic build. But the five-time winner revealed he is in pain every day. Ankle fusion surgery, back fusion surgery, nearly lost a leg - it's a miracle he's still walking let alone playing.

Augusta National is a hilly course so these (hopefully) four days will be really taking it out of Woods. From the front his walks look good, strong. But the side tells a different story. It's mechanical, clunky and a bit robotic.

It's not a joke to suggest he'd look good in a Terminator movie. It's the sort of thing you can only really notice by watching him walk in person - but it's not a surprise given the amount of metal in his body.

The swing

However his swing is the one thing that looks natural. It's fantastic. He hasn't lost it.

Be it driver, iron or wedge, it is smooth and a sight to behold. He can still hit it a mile and every connection sounds flush. Injuries and surgeries aside, at 48 years of age this is mighty impressive. What's even more staggering is that Woods doesn't have a swing coach.

The touch

Given his ample recovery time from his many injuries over the years, Woods hasn't been able to do much but perfect his short game. And it showed. A bunker shot on 10 to only a few feet meant he was able to get up and down for par.

The following hole, on a downslope, Woods flopped it to inches. His hands are doing all the dirty work this weekend and there's a reason why he looks visibly calm over each chip.

The focus

As you'd expect, Woods gets shouted at a lot. 'Tiger!' being the most popular. Even when someone shouts enough to make you jump, he doesn't flinch. He only has eyes ahead of wherever he's going. Dead straight and ahead. Sure, he's had plenty of practice over the years but it's still impressive.

Occasionally he'll chat with his caddie or take a look at his handbook, but it's mostly dead serious business. The only bit of fun we saw him having was a quick chat with Jason Day as he walked up the eighth. He had just pumped a drive up the middle of the fairway and so had Day.

The Australian put his arm around Woods as the two shared a joke. We didn't see Day talk to him after he hit a bad shot.