It's been five years since Tiger Woods has won a major championship. And despite four victories and a return to No. 1 in the world in 2013, majors are how he is measured now.
Woods, coming off a strained left elbow, said before the tournament the elbow is fine and that his preparation has been good.
SOLID START: Mickelson opens with a 69
BRITISH OPEN: Zach Johnson takes early lead
Woods was playing the first round with Graeme McDowell and Louis Oosthuizen, also major champions. We'll track their progress, hole by hole, throughout the first round.
No. 9, 554 yards, par 5: Oosthuizen has just withdrawn from the Open. It could be wrist pain from weeks ago but there is not real indication.Chance for everyone to get healthy with the final par 5 on the front and final hole on the front period. McDowell, with the wind in his face, puts it into the left hand rough. Woods puts his right but he's not buried. Going to probably take three to get on the green.
No. 8, 441 yards, par 4: Nice and safe on the tee shot for Woods. His approach shot from 161 yards is nothing short of fantastic. Easily his best shot of the day. For pessimists, the 5-foot putt is above the hole and that has caused problems for some players today as they go downhill. McDowell gets the third birdie of the day on No. 8 with a 25-footer. Just a perfect touch. He's now -1. Woods' short birdie putt is wide left and he'll settle for a disappointing par to remain +1. The putt never was on line as he trailed left from impact. Opportunity missed. Oosthuizen continues to go south with another bogey and he's +4.
No. 7, 184 yards, par 3: Woods finds the green without incident. The birdie putt is close, but not close enough. Par. He will stay at +1. McDowell also is in with par. Oosthuizen made double bogey.
No. 6, 461 yards, par 4: Woods' tee shot with a 3-wood finds fairway. He had 169 yards to the hole, back right, and he was long and right with the approach. Balls are just not stopping. McDowell, from just in front of Woods in the fairway, can't stop his approach on the green either. Uh-oh. Woods chips it up, but he didn't give it enough oomph, and it rolls back down off the green and into the rough. Clearly unhappy, Woods released some muffled expletives. Some, not that muffled. Now he better be careful or double bogey is in play. McDowell meanwhile chips up from off the green and will have a only a few feet for par. Alas, he missed it. Woods' fourth just ends up at the top of the crest and on the green. Making a mess of this one. Woods makes the 12-footer to save bogey. Could have been worse, but my goodness it could have been better. He was in fine position off the tee. McDowell bogeys, too, to fall to even. Woods drops to +1. Oosthuizen also is at +1.
No. 5, 559 yards, par 5: Woods and McDowell end up OK off the tee. Oosthuizen's tee shot, with an iron, won't stop running and rolls into a bunker. Oosthuizen can't reach in two, so he just plays it safe out of the bunker. Woods and McDowell have to wait for the green to clear ... they can reach in two. McDowell finds the green and will have a look at eagle. Tiger, from just in the rough, has a good angle, ends up 20 yards short of the green. He could putt, chip and run or lob one up there. His lob was not outstanding, and his putt slips 4 feet past. Tricky par saver now. The greens are fast, like putting on a tabletop. Woods saves par to stay at even for the day. McDowell has his first birdie of the day to get to -1. Oosthuizen makes par to stay at +1.
GALLERY: THURSDAY AT THE BRITISH OPEN
No. 4, 226 yards, par 3: Woods fires a beauty off the tee and knocks in his birdie putt to get back to even par. So after the disaster off the tee at No. 1, all is well again. For now. Another par for McDowell, and a bogey for Oosthuizen. Woods and McDowell are eve, Oosthuizen is at +1.
No. 3, 377 yards, par 4: After a great tee shot, Woods' approach finds a greenside bunker, leaving a very awkward stance. The blast out stops a couple of feet from the hole. A tap-in par for Woods. Pars all around. Woods, +1, Oosthuizen and McDowell, even.
No. 2, 364 yards, par 4: Woods finds the fairway with his tee shot — iron off the tee — then knocks his approach to within birdie range. Oosthuizen, also from the fairway, knocked his approach inside Woods' to within about 3 feet for birdie. Woods' putt, a downhiller with 6 inches of break, slips past on the low side. He taps in for par. Oosthuizen makes birdie to get back to even, and McDowell adds another par. Woods +1, McDowell and Oosthuizen are even.
No. 1, 447 yards, par 4: Well, Woods' British Open started about as bad as it could have ... a tee shot with a 3-wood into waist-high rough. It was his first shot in competition since the U.S. Open ... where he was last seen dealing with a strained left elbow. The tee shot was so bad, Woods hit a provisional. The ball was found, but Woods had to take an unplayable lie. He took his drop and chopped it out of the thick rough and into a greenside bunker. His blast out of the bunker stopped about 3 feet short of the hole, and he ended up with a bogey. Not the worst score possible after that dreadful tee shot. Oosthuizen also made bogey; McDowell, after a fine tee shot, makes a safe par.
No comments:
Post a Comment