Tiger Woods has returned to aggressive golf for the primary time since withdrawing halfway by means of the Masters in April and present process ankle surgical procedure.
The 15-time main winner made his return on the Hero World Problem at Albany GC within the Bahamas – a 20-player event with no reduce and hardly any crowds, making it about as low-pressure an setting as attainable for the legend’s return.
Woods carded a three-over 75 in his first spherical in 236 days. It was one thing of a wild spherical – with 4 birdies, 5 bogeys and a double to go together with eight pars.
“I made lots of photographs. I don’t suppose I received quite a bit out of it,” Woods stated. “I used to be rusty, I didn’t have my feels and circumstances had been powerful early.
“I form of hung by means of there and I didn’t end off my spherical the best way I wanted to and consequently it form of went sideways on the finish.”
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The competitors advantages Woods’ personal charity, and the 47-year-old used a sponsors exemption to take a spot within the discipline.
Crucially, it is usually a really flat course, making it much less of a bodily problem for a person nonetheless struggling from the results of his 2021 automobile crash.
It’s simply his fifth event since that crash, having solely completed 72 holes twice in that point.
“I’m a bit of bit sore, that’s for positive,” Woods stated. “We’ve received some stuff to do tonight to prepare for tomorrow. Get again within the fitness center and get proper after it tomorrow and hopefully put up a greater quantity.”
Requested the place the ache was, Woods replied, “All over the place.”
“My leg, my again, my neck, simply from taking part in, hitting photographs and making an attempt to carry off photographs,” Woods stated. “It’s simply completely different at recreation pace, too. Recreation pace’s quite a bit completely different than at dwelling pace.”
“My recreation feels rusty,” he stated on Tuesday. “I’m excited to compete and play and I’m simply as curious as all of you’re to see what occurs as a result of I haven’t finished it shortly.
“I can let you know this, I don’t have any of the ache that I had at Augusta or pre that in my ankle.
“Different components are taking the brunt of the load so I’m a bit of extra sore in different areas, however the ankle’s good. That surgical procedure was successful.”
Woods had two birdies and two bogeys on the entrance 9, earlier than a 48-foot birdie putt on 11 to get again to one-under.
A bogey the next gap was adopted by a birdie on 14, earlier than his spherical got here undone in a late collapse.
He double-bogeyed 15 after a poor tee shot compelled two restoration makes an attempt to flee a bush within the tough.
He then dropped photographs on the next two holes after discovering a bunker off the tee on 16, and three-putting on 17. That left him 18th and third-last.
Woods regarded technically strong for a lot of the spherical, however started to tire after three hours. However, he retained his smile – and appeared to be strolling comparatively comfortably in a optimistic signal after saying he desires to mess around a event each month in 2024.
“I received off to an honest begin. I didn’t play the par-5s all that nicely,” Woods stated. “Now I do know mentally what I have to do higher.
“Bodily I knew I used to be going to be OK. Mentally, I used to be actually rusty and made lots of errors within the thoughts that usually I don’t make.”
In the meantime, Brian Harman and Tony Finau share the lead after five-under 67s, although Finau’s spherical may simply have been higher if not for a brutally unfortunate second the place his method shot deflected off the highest of the flagstick.
Australia’s Jason Day carded a one-under 71.