Friday, April 8, 2011

1991 Masters Champions Unlikely to Return

Ian Woosnam

Ian Woosnam admitted he may have played his last Masters after nearly pulling out with a hip problem and struggling round Augusta in 77 on Friday.

That gave the him a 36-hole total of 11-over 155 and a 10th missed cut in his last 11 visits to the scene of his 1991 triumph.

The 53-year-old Welshman was forced to use a shooting stick between shots to stop himself going into spasm and said afterwards: "I'm absolutely knackered. My short game's just not good enough really, but I'm glad I played because I wasn't going to on the first day.

"My hips are all seized up again and I'm very sore. I struggled through it, but didn't hole a putt all week.

"I just had to take some sit-downs to take the spasm out of my back. Every now and again the spondylitis gets to me and I just have to get used to it.

"The seat is not a bad thing to have because it does not weigh anything, especially yesterday when it was five-and-a-half hours to get round. I think we were almost five hours today - it's too slow really.

"I could feel it last week in Mississippi, but I could play in a buggy there.

"I don't know if that's going to be my last or not yet. I'll have to see how I'm playing next year - if I'm in this sort of state I most probably won't play."