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Tiger Woods finishes the Masters with his highest score as a professional and has his sights set on the upcoming majors

AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) — Tiger Woods finished the Masters on Sunday with a record to spare when he left the course with a 16-over 304, his highest 72-hole score in a career that has spanned three decades.

Woods' previous high was 302 at the Memorial in 2015. The only other time he failed to break 300 was at the Masters two years ago, when he shot 78-78 over the weekend to finish at 301.

Despite that record, Woods called it a “good week” and said he would begin preparing for the other three majors, including the PGA Championship in May, the US Open in June and the British Open in July.

“This is a golf course I knew from the beginning, so I’ll be doing my homework on Pinehurst, Valhalla and Troon in the future,” Woods said. “But that’s kind of the game plan.”

Overall, he was not dissatisfied with his style of play.

“Coming here and not having played a full tournament in a long time, it was a good fight on Thursday and Friday,” Woods said. “Unfortunately (Saturday) didn’t go quite the way I wanted.”

It hardly mattered to the crowd.

The 48-year-old Woods, still dealing with the effects of numerous surgeries that have affected his body and limited his playing time on the PGA Tour, drew huge cheers from the crowd as he neared the hole on No. 1 threw. Made 18 and par.

Woods wore his traditional Sunday red and tipped his hat to the crowd.

Woods only played 24 holes in a tournament before the Masters

“I'm just going to keep lifting, keep the engine running, keep the body moving, keep getting stronger, keep making progress,” Woods said. “Hopefully the training sessions will keep getting longer.”

When Woods finished, he was in last place among the 60 players who had made it. The last time he finished last was at the 2020 Genesis Invitational in Riviera.

Still, guests flocked to see the man who took golf's popularity to new levels, even if he was no longer the dominant player he once was at Augusta National.

Woods hasn't really been competitive here since 2020, when he finished 38th a year after his stunning fifth win at the age of 43.

He finished 13th over two years ago and then had to withdraw in the third round in 2023 due to injuries that were not resolved even by the cold, rainy weather that obviously took a physical toll on his body.

This week, Woods briefly showed glimpses of past greatness, relying mostly on his knowledge of the course.

He played the first two rounds at 1-over and made the cut for the 24th time. But the final two rounds were a struggle for Woods, who posted his worst round of his career at a major on Saturday with an 82.

“It’s always nice to come back here because I know the golf course and how to play it,” Woods said. “I can somehow simulate recordings. Granted, it’s never quite the same as coming out here and doing it.”

He played the final 36 holes in 15 overs and scored 77 in his 100th career round at the Masters on Sunday.

Before the round, Woods appeared to get some swing tips from his 15-year-old son Charlie on the practice range.

It started out okay, but it didn't last long.

After playing the first two holes in 1 under, Woods made bogey on No. 3 before chaos ensued on the par-4 fifth hole when he took an unplayable lie and had to be driven back to the tee in a golf cart had to strike again. He finished with a triple-bogey 7.

He added another bogey on the 6th.

He nearly jumped out of the sand in 16th place, giving fans a thrill and bringing back fond memories of his legendary chip-in in 2005 en route to the fourth of his five championships at Augusta.

Woods said the hardest part of the week for him was battling the wind, which reached up to 45 miles per hour and was gusting at times.

“What did it do to the golf shots, the balls and the putting out here, how difficult it was to play on the course,” Woods said. “It doesn't take much to get out of this position. Unfortunately I got out of position a lot (on Saturday) and a few times today.”

The once-dominant Woods played with Neal Shipley, the only amateur to make it to the Masters.

It was a stark reminder of how long Woods has been around.

Woods' winning streak at the Masters began in 1997, before the 23-year-old Shipley was born.

Even though Woods is no longer in contention, he still attracts the usual large crowd of fans who just want to catch a glimpse of the player who became the face of the sport. Fans applaud after Woods' every shot – good or bad – and continue to shout words of encouragement to him.

AP Golf: