Tiger Woods was tackled by Masters security guard and limped away from scene

The 2019 was the scene of one of sport's most incredible stories. It was where became a major champion again after an 11-year wait, and where he cemented his return to the top after enduring years of injuries and personal struggles.

But things nearly went pear-shaped in the second round of the tournament, as an accidental sliding tackle from an on-course security guard left him hobbling up towards the green. Woods found himself in the left rough on the 14th hole, forcing him to hit an audacious approach shot through a sea of branches. When he did just that with a spectacular swing, the nearby patrons roared with excitement and scrambled to follow Woods on his walk back to the fairway.

That sparked an equally frantic reaction from members of the security team, who were called into action to keep the crowds away from Woods. And as one of them ran over towards the 15-time major champion, he slipped on the grass and slid into his ankle.

Woods did not say anything or even acknowledge the fallen security guard as he jolted his foot into the air and limped away. To everyone's relief, the American shook off the issue and sunk a long putt for birdie.

And he didn't stop there, with a round of 70 on the Sunday enough to wear the green jacket for a fifth time. The unnamed culprit who inadvertently tackled Woods shed light on the incident in an interview with .

"Well, he made birdie, so I guess it all worked out," he said. "Man, I am really glad he made birdie. Now I'm all over the internet. My boss told me - I don't have my phone but he does. It's on Bleacher Report. It's going to be everywhere. I guess it already is, like, everywhere.

"Everyone was just coming in so fast and we were trying to get in the right spot. It's so slippery. I was fine until I slipped and almost got Tiger Woods."

Woods himself refused to make much of the lucky escape after his second round, saying: "It is what it is - accidents happen and we move on. I'm good, dude."

Fans had hoped to see the 49-year-old return to Augusta for a shot at his 16th major later this week. But a ruptured Achilles tendon, which required surgery less than a month ago, has ruled him out.