Tiger Woods returns with mixed bag and a 73
Tiger Woods wipes his face as he prepares to putt on the 10th hole during the first round at the Hero World Challenge golf tournament, Thursday, Dec. 1, 2016, in Nassau, Bahamas. Woods is one-over-par for the round. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
More
NASSAU, Bahamas (AP) -- Not only did Tiger Woods return to golf Thursday, he returned to being Tiger.
Just not for long.
Hardly looking like a player who had not competed in 466 days, Woods ran off three straight birdies with a variety of shots and was tied for the lead in the Hero World Challenge as he approached the turn.
Three shots in the bushes, one shot in the water and a few fits of anger sent him toward the bottom of the pack. A pair of double bogeys over the final three holes ruined an otherwise impressive return, and Woods shot 40 on the back nine at Albany Golf Club and had to settle for a 1-over 73.
He was in 17th place in the 18-man field. Only Justin Rose had a higher score.
Even so, Woods has reason to be encouraged. After taking off 15 months to recover from two back surgeries, he felt no pain or limitations. His misses were not big, just costly. And he was playing again.
''It could have been something really good,'' Woods said. ''I got off to a nice, solid start and made a few mistakes there. I didn't play the par 5s very well in the middle part of the round and consequently, got it going the wrong way. ... But all in all, I feel pretty good. I'm looking forward to another three more days.''
He was nine shots behind J.B. Holmes, who opened with an 8-under 64 and had a one-shot lead over Hideki Matsuyama, with U.S. Open champion Dustin Johnson at 66.
Curiosity was greater than expectations for Woods, who was coming off the longest hiatus of his golfing life. Plagued by back problems since 2013 when he was No. 1 in the world, he finally shut it down after tying for 10th in the Wyndham Championship on Aug. 23, 2015, and then going through two back surgeries.
He was in so much pain last year there were times he wondered he had played his last tournament.
With high anticipation, he tugged his opening tee shot into the rough on the left edge of a bunker and gouged that out to 15 feet for par. Just like that, it all started to feel as though he had never been away.
''By the time I hit my tee shot on the second hole, I had already gotten into the flow of the round,'' Woods said. ''That's something that for me, when I've taken layoffs and taken breaks, it's how quickly can I find the feel of the round? To not play in 15, 16 months and get it on the second hole is nice.''
He also knew that with only a stiff tropical wind behind him on three of the par 5s, scores would be low.
For a short time, Woods seemed up to the task. He hit a 5-iron from 231 yards just over the green and passed his first test, a 30-yard pitch-and-run and that checked slightly and rolled out to a few feet from the hole for a birdie . He faced a more difficult pitch up the slope on the next hole and hit a chunk-and-run to 3 feet.
His confidence kept building - the flop shot from 40 yards to 5 feet for birdie on the par-5 sixth, the wedge to 5 feet for birdie on the seventh, and a 6-iron he struck so well on the par-3 eighth that he was asking for perfection. ''One yard! One yard!'' he said as the ball was in the air, and then settled 2 feet away.
At that point he was tied with Holmes.
But he flubbed a pitch on the par-5 ninth and made bogey. Two holes later, he flared an iron from the sandy waste area into a bush and had to take a penalty shot, making another bogey on a par 5. Woods was still hanging around in the middle of the pack when he hit 7-iron to 12 feet on the par-5 15th and two-putted for birdie.
And then it all fell apart.
Froom the middle of the 16th fairway, he pulled his approach and dropped the club as it sailed into a bush. He had to play that backward to the fairway, pitched a wedge some 30 feet by and made double bogey. And then on the 18th, he pulled his driver and immediately slammed the club into the turf as he watched for the splash.
His pitch hit the pin - it was too strong, anyway - and he missed from 20 feet for another bogey.
''Just made some really silly mistakes, mistakes I don't normally make,'' Woods said. ''But I haven't played in a while. Unfortunately, I made those mistakes. I can clean that up. We've got three more days. Wind is supposed to pump on the weekend, and I'll be playing a little bit better.''
Tiger Woods wipes his face as he prepares to putt on the 10th hole during the first round at the Hero World Challenge golf tournament, Thursday, Dec. 1, 2016, in Nassau, Bahamas. Woods is one-over-par for the round. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
More
NASSAU, Bahamas (AP) -- Not only did Tiger Woods return to golf Thursday, he returned to being Tiger.
Just not for long.
Hardly looking like a player who had not competed in 466 days, Woods ran off three straight birdies with a variety of shots and was tied for the lead in the Hero World Challenge as he approached the turn.
Three shots in the bushes, one shot in the water and a few fits of anger sent him toward the bottom of the pack. A pair of double bogeys over the final three holes ruined an otherwise impressive return, and Woods shot 40 on the back nine at Albany Golf Club and had to settle for a 1-over 73.
He was in 17th place in the 18-man field. Only Justin Rose had a higher score.
Even so, Woods has reason to be encouraged. After taking off 15 months to recover from two back surgeries, he felt no pain or limitations. His misses were not big, just costly. And he was playing again.
''It could have been something really good,'' Woods said. ''I got off to a nice, solid start and made a few mistakes there. I didn't play the par 5s very well in the middle part of the round and consequently, got it going the wrong way. ... But all in all, I feel pretty good. I'm looking forward to another three more days.''
He was nine shots behind J.B. Holmes, who opened with an 8-under 64 and had a one-shot lead over Hideki Matsuyama, with U.S. Open champion Dustin Johnson at 66.
Curiosity was greater than expectations for Woods, who was coming off the longest hiatus of his golfing life. Plagued by back problems since 2013 when he was No. 1 in the world, he finally shut it down after tying for 10th in the Wyndham Championship on Aug. 23, 2015, and then going through two back surgeries.
He was in so much pain last year there were times he wondered he had played his last tournament.
With high anticipation, he tugged his opening tee shot into the rough on the left edge of a bunker and gouged that out to 15 feet for par. Just like that, it all started to feel as though he had never been away.
''By the time I hit my tee shot on the second hole, I had already gotten into the flow of the round,'' Woods said. ''That's something that for me, when I've taken layoffs and taken breaks, it's how quickly can I find the feel of the round? To not play in 15, 16 months and get it on the second hole is nice.''
He also knew that with only a stiff tropical wind behind him on three of the par 5s, scores would be low.
For a short time, Woods seemed up to the task. He hit a 5-iron from 231 yards just over the green and passed his first test, a 30-yard pitch-and-run and that checked slightly and rolled out to a few feet from the hole for a birdie . He faced a more difficult pitch up the slope on the next hole and hit a chunk-and-run to 3 feet.
His confidence kept building - the flop shot from 40 yards to 5 feet for birdie on the par-5 sixth, the wedge to 5 feet for birdie on the seventh, and a 6-iron he struck so well on the par-3 eighth that he was asking for perfection. ''One yard! One yard!'' he said as the ball was in the air, and then settled 2 feet away.
At that point he was tied with Holmes.
But he flubbed a pitch on the par-5 ninth and made bogey. Two holes later, he flared an iron from the sandy waste area into a bush and had to take a penalty shot, making another bogey on a par 5. Woods was still hanging around in the middle of the pack when he hit 7-iron to 12 feet on the par-5 15th and two-putted for birdie.
And then it all fell apart.
Froom the middle of the 16th fairway, he pulled his approach and dropped the club as it sailed into a bush. He had to play that backward to the fairway, pitched a wedge some 30 feet by and made double bogey. And then on the 18th, he pulled his driver and immediately slammed the club into the turf as he watched for the splash.
His pitch hit the pin - it was too strong, anyway - and he missed from 20 feet for another bogey.
''Just made some really silly mistakes, mistakes I don't normally make,'' Woods said. ''But I haven't played in a while. Unfortunately, I made those mistakes. I can clean that up. We've got three more days. Wind is supposed to pump on the weekend, and I'll be playing a little bit better.''
Today at 8:29 am by Rocky
» utube 11/23/24 MM&C Reporting-Expectations are High-IMF-Flexible Exchange Rate Regime-Pr
Today at 6:33 am by Rocky
» utube 11/25/24 MM&C MM&C Iraq News-CBI Building Final Touches-Oil Exports-Development Road-Turkey-B
Today at 6:33 am by Rocky
» Parliamentary movement to include the salary scale in the next session
Today at 5:11 am by Rocky
» Parliamentary Finance Committee reveals the budget paragraphs included in the amendment
Today at 5:10 am by Rocky
» Al-Maliki calls on the Bar Association to hold accountable members who violate professional conduct
Today at 5:08 am by Rocky
» Politician: The security agreement with America has many aspects
Today at 5:07 am by Rocky
» Kurdistan Planning: More than 6 million people live in the region, the oldest of them is 126 years o
Today at 5:05 am by Rocky
» Al-Alaq: Arab consensus on the role of central bank programs in addressing challenges
Today at 5:03 am by Rocky
» Economics saves from political drowning
Today at 5:02 am by Rocky
» Agriculture calls for strict ban on import of "industrial fats" and warns of health risks
Today at 5:01 am by Rocky
» Iraq is the fourth largest oil exporter to China
Today at 5:00 am by Rocky
» Railways continue to maintain a number of its lines to ensure the smooth running of trains
Today at 4:59 am by Rocky
» Parliament resumes its sessions tomorrow.. and these are the most important amendments in the budget
Today at 4:58 am by Rocky
» Bitcoin Fails to Continue Rising as It Approaches $100,000
Today at 4:57 am by Rocky
» Minister of Planning: There will be accurate figures for the population of each governorate
Today at 4:56 am by Rocky
» Popular Mobilization Law is ready for voting
Today at 4:54 am by Rocky
» Mechanisms for accepting people with disabilities into postgraduate studies
Today at 4:52 am by Rocky
» Government coordination to create five thousand jobs
Today at 4:51 am by Rocky
» Transport: Next month, a meeting with the international organization to resolve the European ban
Today at 4:50 am by Rocky
» Census is a path to digital government
Today at 4:49 am by Rocky
» Calls to facilitate loans and reduce interest rates for the private sector
Today at 4:47 am by Rocky
» The launch of the third and final phase of the "population census"
Today at 4:46 am by Rocky
» Al-Sudani: We have accomplished a step that is the most prominent in the framework of planning, deve
Today at 4:44 am by Rocky
» Justice discusses modern mechanisms to develop investment in real estate and minors’ money
Today at 4:43 am by Rocky
» Dubai to host Arabplast exhibition next month
Today at 4:41 am by Rocky
» Al-Tamimi: Integrity plays a major role in establishing the foundations of laws that will uphold jus
Today at 4:39 am by Rocky
» Reaching the most important people involved in the "theft of the century" in Diyala
Today at 4:38 am by Rocky
» Transportation: Completion of excavation works and connection of the immersed tunnel manufacturing b
Today at 4:36 am by Rocky
» Between internal and regional challenges... Formation of the Kurdistan government on a "slow fire" a
Today at 4:35 am by Rocky
» Kurdistan Region Presidency: We will issue a regional order to determine the first session of parlia
Today at 4:34 am by Rocky
» The Minister of Foreign Affairs announces the convening of the Ambassadors Conference tomorrow, Mond
Today at 4:33 am by Rocky
» Al-Sudani: Iraq must always be at the forefront
Today at 4:32 am by Rocky
» Al-Mashhadani: We support the Foreign Ministry in confronting any external interference that affects
Today at 4:31 am by Rocky
» Al-Sudani chairs meeting with Oliver Wyman delegation
Today at 4:29 am by Rocky
» Half a million beggars in Iraq.. 90% of them receive welfare salaries
Today at 4:27 am by Rocky
» Sudanese announces preliminary results of the general population and housing census in detail
Today at 4:26 am by Rocky
» The centenary of the Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs.. A journey of challenges and achievements
Today at 4:25 am by Rocky
» Prime Minister's Advisor Announces Assignment of Two International Companies to Study Iraqi Banking
Today at 4:23 am by Rocky
» Agriculture: Integrated Support Project Provides 1,333 Job Opportunities
Today at 4:22 am by Rocky
» The Media and Education Commission discuss introducing advanced curricula related to artificial inte
Today at 4:20 am by Rocky
» Al-Mashhadani’s First Test: Discussing Israeli Threats and Avoiding Controversial Laws
Today at 4:20 am by Rocky
» By name.. A parliamentary bloc reveals that five ministers will be questioned at the end of the legi
Today at 4:19 am by Rocky
» The financial budget is subject to political and economic amendments in the next parliamentary sessi
Today at 4:18 am by Rocky
» Will the government's efforts succeed in ending the electricity crisis in Iraq?
Today at 4:17 am by Rocky
» Baghdad Airport Customs Increased to 400% After Implementing Automation
Today at 4:16 am by Rocky
» EU: Integrated Support Project in Iraq Creates Jobs in Agriculture and Youth
Today at 4:15 am by Rocky
» Al-Sudani attends the centenary ceremony of the establishment of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Today at 4:13 am by Rocky
» Al-Mashhadani: We seek to keep foreign policy away from alignments that harm Iraq’s unity and sovere
Today at 4:12 am by Rocky
» The Iraqi government is working to develop a competitive banking system and support the private sect
Today at 4:10 am by Rocky
» Al-Alaq: Arab consensus on the role of central bank programs in addressing challenges
Today at 4:09 am by Rocky
» Regional markets rise in first session of the week
Today at 4:08 am by Rocky
» Kurdistan Region Presidency: We will issue an order to set the first session of the regional parliam
Today at 4:06 am by Rocky
» Political differences hinder oil and gas law legislation
Today at 4:05 am by Rocky
» Government coordination to create new job grades for graduates
Today at 4:04 am by Rocky
» The financial budget is subject to amendments in the next parliamentary session
Today at 4:03 am by Rocky
» Alsumaria Newsletter: Iraq reaches the final stages of the census and Parliament resumes its session
Today at 4:01 am by Rocky
» After the elites and workers... Iranian factories "migrate" to Iraq
Today at 3:58 am by Rocky
» Beggars in Iraq "refuse" welfare salaries.. Their profits are 10 times the salary!
Today at 3:57 am by Rocky
» Amending the Election Law... A Means to Restore the Dilapidated Legitimacy
Today at 3:56 am by Rocky
» Prime Minister announces population census results, Iraq reaches 45 million mark
Today at 3:54 am by Rocky
» Find out the dollar exchange rates in the Iraqi markets
Today at 3:53 am by Rocky
» Kurdistan Interior Ministry: General amnesty does not include those accused of killing women
Today at 3:52 am by Rocky
» utube 11/21/24 MM&C MM&C News Reporting-Global Trade-Best Route in World-Purchase Power-Justice-Cen
Yesterday at 6:58 am by Rocky
» Al-Sudani discusses with the Secretary-General of the Digital Cooperation Organization enhancing dig
Yesterday at 6:56 am by Rocky
» President of the Republic: Partnership with the United States is essential to achieve regional stabi
Yesterday at 6:54 am by Rocky
» Mazhar Saleh reveals details of the 2023 budget and the 2024 budget horizon
Yesterday at 5:18 am by Rocky
» Absent control and rising corruption.. Sudan faces a harsh political winter
Yesterday at 5:16 am by Rocky
» A representative shows the laws prepared for voting during the upcoming sessions.
Yesterday at 5:14 am by Rocky
» Corrupt people in it.. Independent MP criticizes the performance of Al-Sudani's government
Yesterday at 5:13 am by Rocky
» Parliamentary Oil Committee reveals government move to end electricity crisis
Yesterday at 5:11 am by Rocky
» The Administrative Court postpones consideration of the lawsuit on the legitimacy of the Kirkuk gove
Yesterday at 5:10 am by Rocky
» MP: The ministerial reshuffle depends on consensus within the state administration
Yesterday at 5:09 am by Rocky
» Politicians put question marks on Al-Sudani: corruption, espionage and serving foreign interests
Yesterday at 5:08 am by Rocky
» The International Union of Arab Bankers honors the Chairman of the Private Banks Association: A prom
Yesterday at 5:03 am by Rocky
» Industry: Contracts to supply state ministries with food products
Yesterday at 5:02 am by Rocky
» After Shell Withdrawal, American Company Heads to Implement Al-Nibras Project in Iraq
Yesterday at 5:01 am by Rocky
» Revealing the fate of the Chinese deal in Iraq.. It was disrupted by this party
Yesterday at 5:00 am by Rocky
» The Central Bank of Iraq 77 years of challenges and reforms
Yesterday at 4:57 am by Rocky
» "Unprecedented numbers"... American "CNN" talks about tourism in Iraq
Yesterday at 4:56 am by Rocky
» After implementing automation, Baghdad Airport Customs jumps 400 percent
Yesterday at 4:55 am by Rocky
» Iraq participates in sustainable development activities
Yesterday at 4:53 am by Rocky
» Al-Sudani opens 790 model schools
Yesterday at 4:52 am by Rocky
» Parliamentary Culture: The Right to Information Law will satisfy all parties
Yesterday at 4:51 am by Rocky
» Al-Mashhadani to {Sabah}: Tomorrow we will discuss the Zionist threats
Yesterday at 4:50 am by Rocky
» Industry to {Sabah}: Contracts to supply state ministries with food products
Yesterday at 4:49 am by Rocky
» Trade cooperation between Najaf and Isfahan
Yesterday at 4:48 am by Rocky
» {New building} and {electronic systems} to develop forensic medicine
Yesterday at 4:47 am by Rocky
» A specialized center for monitoring the environmental situation in the capital
Yesterday at 4:46 am by Rocky
» International and parliamentary praise for the success of the "population census" process
Yesterday at 4:45 am by Rocky
» The European Union organizes a workshop in Basra on central administration and the wealth distributi
Yesterday at 4:42 am by Rocky
» The Media Authority and the Ministry of Education discuss the importance of enhancing and introducin
Yesterday at 4:41 am by Rocky
» Iraq's oil exports to America rose last week
Yesterday at 4:40 am by Rocky
» Electricity announces loss of 5,500 megawatts due to complete halt of Iranian gas supplies
Yesterday at 4:39 am by Rocky
» Tomorrow.. The Arab League is looking to unify its position against Israeli intentions to strike Ira
Yesterday at 4:37 am by Rocky
» The Central Bank moves its secret vaults to its new building.. Clarification of the truth of the cla
Yesterday at 4:35 am by Rocky
» Network reveals the fate of the Chinese deal.. It was disrupted by "Iraqi officials"
Yesterday at 4:34 am by Rocky
» From the White House to the "Leaders of Iraq"... A Message Regarding the Targeting of Baghdad
Yesterday at 4:33 am by Rocky
» Parliament session agenda next Tuesday
Yesterday at 4:32 am by Rocky