Tiger Woods, fighting a balky putter on Augusta National's tricky greens, missed some opportunities early in his opening round Thursday at the Masters, but also avoided disaster, perhaps more important in Round 1 at Augusta National.
Woods sandwiched birdies on the second and ninth holes around a bogey at No. 5 among the rest pars to head to Augusta National's back nine at 1-under 35.
Still, despite driving the ball relatively accurately (he missed two fairways on the front), Woods missed multiple putts inside 10 feet and, at times, appeared out of sorts with his irons, too.
Woods, met with a deafening roar of approval at his first-tee introduction Thursday morning, erased any jitters by opening with a perfect drive to draw an even bigger response as he began the 2019 tournament on a course where he has thrilled fans for more than two decades.
Seeking his fifth Masters title, his first since 2005, Woods teed off just after 11 a.m. ET in almost perfect scoring conditions — virtually no breeze and warm temperatures — grouped with Haotong Li and Jon Rahm.
The mock turtleneck is back. #TheMasters pic.twitter.com/w7YG1VexJi
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) April 11, 2019
On the opening 445-yard par 4, Woods followed his drive with an iron to the middle of a receptive green on a hole that hasn't been kind to him (he is 16-over par in his career on No. 1, known as "Tea Olive").
Woods two-putted from there for a tidy par and a steady start to the round that he built on to get into red numbers on the par-5 second hole. Woods missed reaching the green in regulation on the 575-yard hole, but managed to get up and down from the front right bunker to get to 1 under after two holes.
But he gave the shot back three holes later when he was forced to punch out from the pines after his wayward tee shot right and then missed a 6-footer to save par.
Though he appeared to grow increasingly frustrated with his putting as the rest of the front nine developed, he knocked a ball from the left rough to 5 feet at No. 9 and sank the right-to-left putt for a 3 to get back to red numbers.
Playing alongside Woods, Li was a shot better, at 2 under at the turn, while Rahm also was at 1 under.
Meantime, among the morning starters, Canadian Corey Conners, who made it into the year's first major only by winning as a Monday qualifier last week at the Texas Open, made the most of his opportunity early on. He became the first player to post a score under par in Round 1, with a 2-under 70, using an eagle at the par-5 15th to leap into the early clubhouse lead despite a bogey at 18.
Woods, playing in his second consecutive Masters after experiencing a litany of personal and physical problems, arrived at the year's first major with renewed confidence born out of his victory in the Tour Championship last fall.
"It proved to me that I could win again," Woods said earlier in the week.
That's quite a difference from 2018, when his arrival at Augusta National was met with as much curiosity as fanfare in his return to the tournament coming off spinal fusion surgery. He finished tied for 30th last year at 6 under.
This year? He clearly thinks his game is in shape to not only still compete with a young generation of golfers who weren't around when he last one the Masters, but beat them, too, for a 15th major title that he has been waiting more than 10 years to get.
Woods has been particularly good at Augusta National, even amid struggles elsewhere, finishing sixth in 2009, fourth in 2010, 2011 and 2013 and 17th in 2015.
Woods, Li and Rahm will play together again Friday, scheduled to tee off at 1:49 p.m. before the 36-hole cut is made at the tournament's midpoint.
