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Texas Tech cheerleader says she’s received ‘many’ marriage proposals after viral Masters moment

A Texas Tech cheerleader who went viral last month after catching the attention of social media users tuning into the Masters says she’s received “many” marriage proposals since a viral Tiktok capturing her excitement led to her popularity online. 

Aaliyah Kikumoto, a member of Texas Tech’s Pom Squad, told the U.K.’s Daily Star on Sunday that her internet fame has led to some adoring fans popping the big question. 

The Texas Tech Red Raiders cheerleaders celebrate scoring a touchdown against the Baylor Bears in the second half at Jones AT&T Stadium and Cody Campbell Field. (Michael C. Johnson-USA TODAY Sports)

“Yes, many have come through,” she said when asked whether  she’s received any marriage proposals. 

TEXAS TECH CHEERLEADER LANDS MODELING GIG FOLLOWING VIRAL MASTERS VIDEO

“It has been an interesting ride and one that I wasn’t expecting to happen in this sort of fashion,” she also told the outlet. 

“It’s something I wanted at some point to grow my brand and be a positive influence for good. While all this is unfolding I’m still trying to do homework, study for exams, Pom commitments, and other things.”

A Texas Tech Red Raiders cheerleader before the game between the Texas Tech Red Raiders and the Oklahoma Sooners on October 22, 2016, at AT&T Jones Stadium in Lubbock, Texas. (John Weast/Getty Images)

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Kikumoto was attending the final round at Augusta National when a TikTok of her standing​​ behind Jon Rahm and Brooks Koepka went viral. 

“Somehow, I feel in love with someone I only saw for 15 seconds,” the caption on the video read.

The video has since garnered 6.2 million views and over 372,000 likes. 

Jon Rahm of Spain shakes hands with Brooks Koepka of the United States on the 18th green after he won the 2023 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 9, 2023, in Augusta, Georgia. (Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

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Kikumoto landed a modeling job last month and has over 45,000 followers on Instagram since going viral. 

She is a part of the Texas Tech Pom Squad. The dance team consists of trained dancers whose styles consist of “pm, jazz, hip hop, and contemporary lyrical,” according to the squad’s website. 

Alumni of the team have gone on to dance for the Dallas Cowboys, Dallas Mavericks, Houston Rockets, Houston Texans, New York Jets and Kansas City Chiefs.

Fox News’ Ryan Gaydos contributed to this report.

Ex-manager slams Rory McIlroy as PGA Tour ‘mouthpiece’ following Masters debacle

Rory McIlroy’s former manager, Chubby Chandler, has accused the PGA Tour star of becoming a “mouthpiece” for the popular circuit and blamed McIlroy’s disappointing finish at the Masters last week on the pressure the pro golfer seemingly places on himself to win. 

“If you were a betting man, you would probably bet against him winning,” Chandler told the British newspaper the i on Friday. 

Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland and his manager Andrew “Chubby” Chandler talk during the pro-am event prior to The Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles Aug. 27, 2008, at the Gleneagles Hotel and Resort. (Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images)

“He has made winning the grand slam [all four majors] a bigger thing in his head than it actually is. He is not really driven by number of wins or number of majors per se, but he seems to be driven by wanting to win the grand slam. It’s a massive mental block, and it’s getting harder and harder. Every time he gets there, he has the pressure from everyone else, but also from himself.”

RORY MCILROY’S DECISION TO WITHDRAW FROM RBC HERITAGE COULD COST MILLIONS

McIlroy, who was represented by Chandler from 2007 until their unharmonious split in 2011, missed the cut at Augusta National after a second-round 77 left him 5 over for the championship.

His goal of completing the career Grand Slam would have to wait another year.

Chandler seemingly pointed to McIlroy’s recent actions on the PGA Tour as problematic. 

Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland and caddie Harry Diamond react on the eighth green during the second round of the 2023 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club April 7, 2023, in Augusta, Ga.  (Andrew Redington/Getty Images)

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“To me, he has got carried away as mouthpiece of the PGA Tour. He is doing things he shouldn’t be doing and opening his mouth too often,” he told the newspaper. 

“The interview on the fairway [at the Masters], absolutely brilliant TV, but not good for Rory McIlroy. You can’t be having a chat with a guy in the commentary box about the day and the way he is playing, or whatever, then get over a wedge and give it 100%. You would never have got [Jack] Nicklaus doing it. 

“You would never have got Tiger [Woods] doing it.”

Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland and Tiger Woods of the United States during The Match 7 at Pelican Golf Club Dec. 10, 2022, in Belleair, Fla.  (Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images for The Match)

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Chandler’s comments follow reports that McIlroy may have to forfeit $3 million of his $12 million in Player Impact Program (PIP) earnings after withdrawing from a designated event for the second time this season.

On this day in history, April 13, 1997, Tiger Woods, 21, dominates Masters with record 12-stroke win

Eldrick “Tiger” Woods, a prodigy since the time he was a toddler, delivered on his destiny of golf greatness with a jaw-dropping 12-stroke victory in the Masters Tournament on this day in history, April 13, 1997.

“A win for the ages!” broadcaster Jim Nantz enthused, as the gallery erupted when Woods’ final putt dropped in the 18th hole. 

His 12-shot victory over second-place finisher Tom Kite remains the greatest margin in the history of the storied golf tournament.

ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY, APRIL 12, 954, BILL HALEY RECORDS ‘ROCK AROUND THE CLOCK,’ ROCK’S FIRST NO. 1 HIT

He is still the youngest winner in Masters history. 

Woods shot an incredible 18-under, which stood as the lowest-ever score in the Masters until it was surpassed by Dustin Johnson in 2020 (-20). 

Tiger Woods celebrates after sinking a 4-foot putt to win the U.S. Masters Golf Tournament with a record low score of 18 under par on April 13, 1997, at the Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia.  (Stephen Munday/Allsport/Getty Images)

Golf Digest called the win by the 21-year-old phenom “the dawn of dominance” and an “epic victory that shook the game.”

Woods tore up all four rounds, including a scintillating 65 (7-under) third round on Saturday that put him in a commanding position entering the final found. 

“A win for the ages!” — Jim Nantz, broadcaster

“Tiger’s Grrrreat!” beamed the front-page headline of local newspaper Augusta Chronicle Sunday morning. 

The final round proved a coronation, not a competition. 

Sportsman of the Year winner, golfer Tiger Woods, at Sports Illustrated’s “Sportsman of the Year” award ceremony at the Beacon Theater, in New York City, Dec. 12, 2000. He had won the 1996 Sportsman of the Year Honors just months after joining the PGA Tour. (Evan Agostini/ImageDirect)

Woods, who turned pro only seven months earlier, laid waste to a field of the greatest golfers in the game.

“There’s a new era about to dawn at the most magical setting in golf,” CBS announced as it opened its final-round broadcast.

TEXAS TECH CHEERLEADER IDENTIFIED AS MASTERS FAN WHO WENT VIRAL DURING TOURNAMENT

Woods, the network noted, “had power and grace like the game has never seen before.”

For nearly two decades he’d been groomed for this moment.

“The final round of the Masters had garnered its highest rating ever, and television ratings leaped whenever he played a tournament.” — Masters.com

Woods was famously given a golf club the moment he could walk by his father Earl Woods, a U.S. Army Green Beret officer who served in Vietnam.

Tiger proved a natural. He shocked a national TV audience by driving golf balls at age 2 in front of Bob Hope on “The Mike Douglas Show.”

Tiger Woods as a two-year-old golf prodigy on “The Mike Douglas Show,” on Oct. 6, 1978.  (CBS via Getty Images)

He dominated amateur golf as a teenager, winning a record three consecutive U.S. Junior Championships (1991-93), then adding an NCAA golf title (1996) while playing for Stanford, among many other honors. 

Woods turned pro in September 1996 and won two PGA Tour events before year-end. Sports Illustrated named him its “Sportsman of the Year” for 1996 and again in 2000.

ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY, MARCH 22, 1934, MASTERS TOURNAMENT TEES OFF FOR FIRST TIME IN AUGUSTA, GEORGIA

His innate ability, coupled with the demands of a driven father and his own quest for excellence, gave Tiger’s ascendancy as a professional an air of inevitability witnessed by millions in the final round of the 1997 Masters.

Woods, with an insurmountable lead, was followed across the final several holes by an electrified gallery entranced by the greatness unfolding in front of their eyes. 

Tiger Woods, 21, makes his triumphant march to the 18th green to cap his 12-stroke win at the 1997 Masters Tournament. It was Woods’ first major title and made him a global sensation. (Augusta National/Getty Images)

“A rhapsody of total appreciation and awe at a virtuoso performance like Augusta has never seen,” Nantz said as Woods stepped onto the 18th green to secure his crown.

ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY, APRIL 7, 1963, JACK NICKLAUS WINS FIRST OF RECORD SIX MASTERS TOURNAMENTS

“It is here that I left my youth behind and became a man,” Woods wrote to the host committee at Augusta National Saturday night, the words read on air as he played his final putt.

“For that, I will eternally be in your debt.”

The popularity of golf soared in the wake of Woods’ masterful Masters.

Tiger Woods of the U.S. celebrates on the 18th green after winning the Masters at Augusta National Golf Club on April 14, 2019, in Augusta, Georgia. (Andrew Redington/Getty Images)

“Woods’ dominant performance, and his mass appeal, had an immediate effect” on the sport, notes Masters.com, the website of Augusta National. 

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“The final round of the Masters had garnered its highest rating ever, and television ratings leaped whenever he played a tournament. His first tournament after the Masters was the GTE Byron Nelson Golf Classic outside Dallas, which he won. The tournament sold out for the first time.”

“A rhapsody of total appreciation and awe at a virtuoso performance like Augusta has never seen.” — Jim Nantz

It was the first of what would become 15 wins in major tournaments by Woods, his assault on Jack Nicklaus’ record 18 major titles thwarted by a series of personal scandals and injuries in later years.

“Woods’ win happened half his life ago, but the roars it triggered will never fade,” Masters.com wrote in 2017, in a 20th-annivesary retrospective of the landmark moment in global sports history.

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“Today … most of us remember the winning moment as if it just happened. Tiger shook the golf world.”

Masters champ Jon Rahm reveals heartwarming reason he’s still competing in RBC Heritage after ‘demanding week’

Jon Rahm is taking no downtime after his victory at the Masters, despite how tempting it may be. 

The newly ranked World No. 1 told reporters Wednesday that he was exhausted following a “demanding week” at Augusta National. Yet, he’s not withdrawing from the RBC Heritage at Hilton Head, South Carolina, this week and with good reason.

Jon Rahm, of Spain, celebrates holding the Masters trophy winning the Masters golf tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on Sunday, April 9, 2023, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

“It did cross my mind,” Rahm said. “It did cross my mind, but I made a commitment earlier in the year, and I want to honor that commitment.”

PATRICK CANTLAY ADDRESSES MASTERS’ PACE OF PLAY CRITICISM: ‘WE WAITED ALL DAY ON PRETTY MUCH EVERY SHOT’

“I also, talking to [my wife], I put myself in the shoes of not only the spectators but the kids as well. If I was one of the kids, I would want to see the recent Masters champion play good or bad, just want to be there.”

But Rahm made it clear that he’s not just showing up – he’s committed to winning.

Jon Rahm, of Spain, watches his tee shot on the fourth hole during the final round of the Masters golf tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on Sunday, April 9, 2023, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

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“I still intend to hopefully do the jacket double and take this one home.”

“I can promise you that every time I tee it up in a tournament, it’s going to be to win,” he added. “It may feel better or worse, but I intend to try my hardest to win.”

Jon Rahm, of Spain, waves after his putt on the third hole during the final round of the Masters golf tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on Sunday, April 9, 2023, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong))

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Rahm will be the first golfer since Jordan Spieth in 2015 to win the Masters and go on to compete at the RBC Heritage at Hilton Head the following week.

Patrick Cantlay addresses Masters’ pace of play criticism: ‘We waited all day on pretty much every shot’

Eight-time PGA Tour winner Patrick Cantlay seemed unbothered by the criticism that followed his pace at the Masters over the weekend, saying Tuesday that he was also held up by the group playing ahead of him and Viktor Hovland. 

Brooks Koepka, who finished second at Augusta National on Sunday, seemingly called out Cantlay when he criticized the group ahead of him and eventual winner Jon Rahm. 

Brooks Koepka walks on the first hole during the final round of the 2023 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia, on Sunday. (Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

“Yeah, the group in front of us was brutally slow,” Koepka lamented. “Jon went to the bathroom like seven times during the round, and we were still waiting.” 

BROOKS KOEPKA RIPS ‘BRUTALLY SLOW’ PACE OF PLAY AT MASTERS FOLLOWING FINAL ROUND COLLAPSE

The group included Cantlay and Hovland. 

Fans took to social media to point out that the Norwegian golfer even seemed upset with Cantlay’s pace, sometimes playing ahead of him. 

Patrick Cantlay, left, and Viktor Hovland look on from the first green during the final round of the 2023 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia, on Sunday. (Patrick Smith/Getty Images)

But Cantlay said Tuesday ahead of the RBC Heritage that the day was slow for everyone on the course.  

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“Yeah, I mean, we finished the first hole, and the group in front of us was on the second tee when we walked up to the second tee, and we waited all day on pretty much every shot,” he told reporters at a press conference. 

“We waited in 15 fairway, we waited in 18 fairway. So, I imagine it was slow for everyone.”

Cantlay, who sits on the Player Advisory Council (PAC), also noted that the course at Augusta National, coupled with the conditions of the day, contributed to a slower round. 

Patrick Cantlay speaks to the media prior to RBC Heritage at Harbour Town Golf Links in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, on Tuesday. (Tracy Wilcox/PGA TOUR via Getty Images)

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“Yeah, one thing that’s interesting sitting on the PAC is you get all the numbers and the data, and rounds have taken about the same length of time for the last 10 or 20 years that they currently take. When you play a golf course like Augusta National where all the hole locations are on lots of slope and the greens are really fast, it’s just going to take longer and longer to hole out,” he said.

“So, I think that may have been what attributed to some of the slow play on Sunday, and then also when the wind is gusting and the wind is blowing maybe inconsistently, that’s when guys will take a long time, too. I think that’s just the nature of playing professional golf, where every shot matters so much.”

Journalist shames LIV golfers despite connections to schools that take millions in Saudi funds

LIV golfers have been no strangers to backlash, and it heightened this past weekend during the Masters.

Dozens of golfers defected from the PGA Tour to LIV, a golf league that is backed monetarily by the Saudis.

LIV’s participants are guaranteed money in their contracts – some of which reportedly go well into nine-figures. On the contrary, PGA Tour members make their living on the course based on where they finish at each tournament.

Those in LIV are banned from playing in PGA Tour-sanctioned events, but majors, including the Masters, are their own entities. And because sports have their own way of destiny, after months of verbal, and legal, back-and-forth, it was PGA vs. LIV on golf’s biggest stage, as Jon Rahm and LIV’s Brooks Koepka were the final pairing on Sunday.

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Brooks Koepka plays his shot from the 15th tee during the final round of the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 9, 2023. (Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

Koepka went to LIV last year, admittedly a decision that was influenced by his lack of health and question marks around whether he could return to form. Koepka let a green jacket slip to first-time winner Rahm with a 75 in the final round.

Longtime journalist Christine Brennan, quite literally, thanked Rahm for winning the Masters.

“Here’s a message from the leaders of men’s golf, especially Augusta National Golf Club, for Spain’s Jon Rahm; Thank you. Thank you for winning the Masters so LIV Golf didn’t,” she wrote for Golfweek.

“That man won the Masters Sunday. And because he won, LIV lost,” she continued, saying Rahm saved the sport from “utter embarrassment.” 

“That’s the story. That’s the headline. At the end of the day, that’s really all that matters.”

Brennan was quick to criticize the golfers for taking the Saudi money.

Phil Mickelson reacts on the 18th green during the Masters on April 9, 2023. (Patrick Smith/Getty Images)

TIGER WOODS’ CHILLING REASON FOR BOWING OUT OF 2022 PGA CHAMPIONSHIP REVEALED BY JASON DAY

“Let us make no mistake what Koepka, [Phil] Mickelson, [Patrick] Reed and the other 15 LIV golfers who arrived here have done. They left their regular tour jobs to go into the ‘sportswashing’ business with Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman, the mastermind of the killing and dismemberment of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018, as well as his golf-bro buddies in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the nation responsible for the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the United States and abysmal human rights violations against women and the LGBTQ community.”

Christine Brennan speaks at the SiriusXM Business Radio Broadcasts “Beyond The Game: Tackling Race” From Wharton San Francisco on Feb. 5, 2016. (Kimberly White/Getty Images for SiriusXM)

But there’s a wrinkle here – Brennan is on the board of trustees for the University of Toledo, which has received millions from Saudi Arabia.

The school brought in more than $13 million worth of Saudi funding between February 2020 and June 2022.

A professor at MIT, which has brought in the third-most Saudi funding, said the arrangements with his school were “driven not by intellectual content but by money.”

Brennan joined the university’s board of trustees in 2017 and is a member of the Academic and Student Affairs Committee, as well as the Trusteeship and Governance Committee.

She also is a professor of practice at Northwestern’s journalism school. The university received over $1 million from Saudi Arabia from 2019 to 2022.

Captain Brooks Koepka of Smash GC celebrates with the trophy after winning the LIV Golf Invitational – Orlando on April 2, 2023, in Florida.  (Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)

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Koepka and Mickelson both finished -8 and tied for second, while Reed (-7) finished T-4 with Jordan Spieth and Russell Henley. Twelve of the 18 LIV Golfers made the cut.

Brennan did not respond to a request for comment.

Journalist shames LIV golfers despite connections to schools that take in Saudi funds

Editor’s note: A previous version of this story read that Christine Brennan is an active member of the University of Toledo Board of Trustees. She left her position with the school in 2021. The current version further clarifies her role on the board.

LIV golfers have been no strangers to backlash, and it heightened this past weekend during the Masters.

Dozens of golfers defected from the PGA Tour to LIV, a golf league that is backed monetarily by the Saudis.

LIV’s participants are guaranteed money in their contracts – some of which reportedly go well into nine-figures. On the contrary, PGA Tour members make their living on the course based on where they finish at each tournament.

Those in LIV are banned from playing in PGA Tour-sanctioned events, but majors, including the Masters, are their own entities. And because sports have their own way of destiny, after months of verbal, and legal, back-and-forth, it was PGA vs. LIV on golf’s biggest stage, as Jon Rahm and LIV’s Brooks Koepka were the final pairing on Sunday.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

Brooks Koepka plays his shot from the 15th tee during the final round of the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 9, 2023. (Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

Koepka went to LIV last year, admittedly a decision that was influenced by his lack of health and question marks around whether he could return to form. Koepka let a green jacket slip to first-time winner Rahm with a 75 in the final round.

Longtime journalist Christine Brennan, quite literally, thanked Rahm for winning the Masters.

“Here’s a message from the leaders of men’s golf, especially Augusta National Golf Club, for Spain’s Jon Rahm; Thank you. Thank you for winning the Masters so LIV Golf didn’t,” she wrote for Golfweek.

“That man won the Masters Sunday. And because he won, LIV lost,” she continued, saying Rahm saved the sport from “utter embarrassment.” 

“That’s the story. That’s the headline. At the end of the day, that’s really all that matters.”

Brennan was quick to criticize the golfers for taking the Saudi money.

Phil Mickelson reacts on the 18th green during the Masters on April 9, 2023. (Patrick Smith/Getty Images)

TIGER WOODS’ CHILLING REASON FOR BOWING OUT OF 2022 PGA CHAMPIONSHIP REVEALED BY JASON DAY

“Let us make no mistake what Koepka, [Phil] Mickelson, [Patrick] Reed and the other 15 LIV golfers who arrived here have done. They left their regular tour jobs to go into the ‘sportswashing’ business with Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman, the mastermind of the killing and dismemberment of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018, as well as his golf-bro buddies in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the nation responsible for the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the United States and abysmal human rights violations against women and the LGBTQ community.”

Christine Brennan speaks at the SiriusXM Business Radio Broadcasts “Beyond The Game: Tackling Race” From Wharton San Francisco on Feb. 5, 2016. (Kimberly White/Getty Images for SiriusXM)

But there’s a wrinkle here – Brennan was a non-voting national trustee on the University of Toledo Board of Trustees from 2017 to 2021. The school brought in more than $13 million worth of Saudi funding between February 2020 and June 2022.

Brennan was a member of the Academic and Student Affairs Committee, as well as the Trusteeship and Governance Committee. 

She also is listed as a current member of the board of trustees at the University of Northwestern as well as currently a professor of practice at Northwestern’s journalism school. Northwestern received over $1 million from Saudi Arabia from 2019 to 2022.

Both her current and former positions at Northwestern and Toledo are in a voluntary capacity and unpaid.

Captain Brooks Koepka of Smash GC celebrates with the trophy after winning the LIV Golf Invitational – Orlando on April 2, 2023, in Florida.  (Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)

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Koepka and Mickelson both finished -8 and tied for second, while Reed (-7) finished T-4 with Jordan Spieth and Russell Henley. Twelve of the 18 LIV Golfers made the cut.

Texas Tech cheerleader identified as Masters fan who went viral during tournament

A female Masters fan who went viral for her excitement as she stood behind Jon Rahm and Brooks Koepka as they battled for the green jacket in the final round on Sunday has been identified.

Aaliyah Kikumoto outed herself as the fan who stood in the gallery just inches behind Koepka and Rahm. She went viral on TikTok during the round as the page Double Bogeys Only posted about her.

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Jon Rahm shakes hands with Brooks Koepka on the 18th green after Rahm won the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 9, 2023. (Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

“Somehow, I feel in love with someone I only saw for 15 seconds,” the caption on the video read.

Fans quickly identified the woman as Kikumoto. She also wrote in the comments section, “That’s me.”

The video garnered more than 3 million views as of Tuesday.

GOLF INFLUENCER PAIGE SPIRANAC REVEALS WHERE SHE DRAWS THE LINE ON HER CONTENT

According to the New York Post, Kikumoto was at Augusta National with her father. Her mother was also excited about seeing her husband and daughter at the course for the epic final round.

“YAY!!! Repping Texas Tech!!! Go TTU Poms!!!! So proud of my hubby @CharlesKikumoto and TTU Poms daughter Aaliyah!!!!” AJ Kikumoto wrote on Twitter.

Texas Tech cheerleaders carry flags across the end zone during the Kansas Jayhawks game at Jones AT&T Stadium on Nov. 12, 2022, in Lubbock, Texas. (John E. Moore III/Getty Images)

Aaliyah Kikumoto is a part of the Texas Tech Pom Squad. The dance team consists of trained dancers whose styles consist of “pm, jazz, hip hop and contemporary lyrical,” according to the squad’s website. Alumni of the team have gone on to dance for the Dallas Cowboys, Dallas Mavericks, Houston Rockets, Houston Texan, New York Jets and Kansas City Chiefs.

Kikumoto has more than 14,000 followers on Instagram and nearly 13,000 on TikTok. She already has an NIL deal with Celsius.

She posted about her notoriety on Monday.

Texas Tech Red Raiders cheerleaders celebrate a touchdown against the Baylor Bears at Jones AT&T Stadium and Cody Campbell Field in Lubbock Texas, Oct. 29, 2022. (Michael C. Johnson-USA Today Sports)

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“Thank you Ho. 16,” she wrote, adding “#themastersgirl.”

Tiger Woods’ chilling reason for bowing out of 2022 PGA Championship revealed by Jason Day

PGA Tour golfer Jason Day revealed why exactly Tiger Woods bowed out of the 2022 PGA Championship. 

Woods, who had to withdraw from the Masters after reaggravating his plantar fasciitis, told the media that he was sore, which is why he pulled out. However, he told Day a different story. 

“I was talking to him at the end of last year, and then he was saying the reason why he pulled out of the PGA was a screw went through the skin on Saturday or whatever it was.” Day said, via the New York Post. 

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Tiger Woods walks on the 18th hole during the weather-delayed second round of the Masters at Augusta National Golf Club on Saturday, April 8, 2023. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

“I don’t know how bad it is this time… it just sucks that he’s not here playing.”

In that tournament, a third round 79 from Woods was uncharacteristic even considering the fact that he didn’t participate much in the 2022 PGA Tour season. He withdrew after its completion. 

“I’m sore. I know that is for a fact,” Woods said at the time. 

TIGER WOODS WITHDRAWS FROM THE MASTERS DUE TO INJURY

But it was much worse than Woods was letting on. 

Woods was dealing with pain from his right leg that needed to be surgically repaired after a gruesome car crash in February 2021, and there was a noticeable limp from Woods, which was also seen at Augusta National Golf Club this past week. 

With less than ideal weather conditions following the first round of the Masters, Woods had to deal with rain and cold weather, which didn’t help the pain he was dealing with. 

Tiger Woods lines up a putt on the 16th hole during the Masters on Saturday, April 8, 2023, in Augusta, Georgia. (AP Photo/Mark Baker)

On Saturday, Woods was clearly in pain when he swung on the 17th hole as he was trying to finish his second round. Day noted that he saw Woods “laboring pretty hard” at that time, so it didn’t come as a surprise that he withdrew. 

“It was obviously difficult to watch because he had to come back out and then play through all that yesterday morning, and then he had to take a little bit of a break and come back out and play again.”

RORY MCILROY, JUSTIN THOMAS HEADLINE GOLF STARS TO MISS CUT AT MASTERS

“Thank you to the fans and to @TheMasters who have shown me so much love and support,” Woods wrote on Twitter after withdrawing. 

When Woods returns to a golf course is unknown, especially after needing to withdraw this week. If the trend continues, Woods will likely try to play in majors, so the PGA Championship would be next on the schedule. 

Tiger Woods walks on the 16th hole during the PGA Championship at Southern Hills Country Club on May 21, 2022, in Tulsa, Oklahoma. (Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

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That tournament will be played at Oak Hill Country Club in Rochester, New York, from May 18-21.

Jena Sims shares sweet supportive message for Brooks Koepka after husband’s second-place finish at Masters

Jena Sims, the wife of Brooks Koepka, had a sweet message for her husband as she watched him nearly claw back into the running for the Masters championship before falling short to Jon Rahm.

Koepka was four strokes ahead of the leaders but ended the fourth round with a 75. He finished 8-under par for the tournament and tied with fellow LIV golfer Phil Mickelson.

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Brooks Koepka of the United States looks on with his wife, Jena Sims Koepka, during the Par 3 contest prior to the 2023 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 05, 2023 in Augusta, Georgia. (Andrew Redington/Getty Images)

Regardless, Sims was very happy with how her husband finished the tournament.

“I love you, I’m proud of you,” she wrote on her Instagram Stories.

Sims was with Koepka at Augusta National for the Par 3 Contest. She caddied for the four-time major champion as Paulina Gretzky caddied for Dustin Johnson at the event.

ESPN PERSONALITY MIKE GREENBERG RIPS FRED COUPLES FOR HIS MASTERS ATTIRE DURING FINAL ROUND

Jena Sims during the Par Three Contest prior to the Masters at Augusta National Golf Club on April 06, 2022 in Augusta, Georgia. (Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

Sims and Koepka have been married since June last year.

It was the first time Koepka faltered with a 54-hole lead. He held a similar lead three times in major tournaments and previously won each of them.

“Obviously, it’s super disappointing, right? Didn’t play good enough to win,” he told reporters after the tournament. “Hit some shots where I also didn’t feel like I got some good breaks. … Didn’t feel like I did too much wrong, but that’s how golf goes sometimes.”

Brooks Koepka of the United States kisses his wife, Jena Sims Koepka, on the ninth green during the Par 3 contest prior to the 2023 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 05, 2023 in Augusta, Georgia. (Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images)

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Koepka missed the Masters in 2018 with a wrist injury. He was only one stroke behind Tiger Woods in 2019. He missed the cut in 2021 after trying to play after having surgery to repair a shattered knee cap. He missed it again last year.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.