Tiger Woods To Make Late Start In Astonishing Augusta Masters Comeback

Tiger Woods continues his remarkable comeback from severe leg injuries Friday with an afternoon tee time at the Masters, the legend firmly in title contention early in the second round. The 15-time major champion battled through pain to walk the hilly 7,510-yard Augusta National layout, firing a one-under par 71 in Thursday's opening round to share 10th. "I'm right where I need to be," Woods said. Woods was four strokes behind South Korean leader Im Sung-jae after 18 holes and remained that far adrift in breezy conditions early Friday.

A botched chip cost Im a bogey at the first hole but he sank a 24-foot birdie putt at the par-4 third to return to 5-under, one stroke ahead of late-starting Australian Cameron Smith and 2020 Masters winner Dustin Johnson, who opened on 69 and sank a six-foot birdie putt at the par-3 fourth.

"I have the stamina to keep going," Woods said. "There's a long way to go and a lot of shots to be played.

"This golf course is going to change and it's going to get a lot more difficult."

Woods made an astonishing return to competition 14 months after a car crash in Southern California caused him severe right leg injuries.

Rods, plates and pins help hold together his leg after he was hospitalized for weeks and unable to walk for months.

Rehabilitation work has allowed the 46-year-old medical marvel to make an epic comeback at an iconic setting.

"I'm as sore as I expected to feel, but it was amazing," Woods said.

Woods, tied for 10th after the first round, was set to tee off at 1:41 p.m. (1741 GMT) in Friday's third-to-last group alongside Louis Oosthuizen of South Africa and Joaquin Niemann of Chile.

Between rounds, Woods soaked his leg in icy water to ease the swelling while trying to keep it strong