Tiger Woods made a nightmare return to the PGA Tour, struggling for focus and any kind of rhythm in the opening round of the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines.
Playing a proper PGA Tour event for the first time in nearly one and a half years, Woods struggled from the word go, shooting an opening round four-over 76.
If the American, making his return from a long-term back injury, does not improve considerably in the second round, he is likely to miss the cut. Woods is currently 11 shots behind the leader Justin Rose, who finished the opening round with a seven-under 65.
"I was fighting out there all day," Woods said. "Didn't really hit it that good. I was in the rough most of the day and it was tough. It was wet."
Woods started his opening round with a bogey, before missing a birdie putt on the 6th. Things started to look up for Woods, who did not hit a fairway after hole number seven, though, in the 10th and 11th, when he scrambled brilliantly to make birdies, but it quickly went downhill from there.
After bogeying the 12th, 13th and 14th, Woods double bogeyed the 15th, ending all hopes of producing a solid comeback.
"Joey (his caddie) kept telling me all day, just be patient with it," Woods added. "I didn't quite smile at him a few of those times he said that. But I was fighting out there trying to get my ball around the golf course and score.
"I had it to 1 under par there through 11. I was in good shape with the par-5 coming up. "(But) it went the other way. I hit bad tee shots and made a bad three‑putt there at 13 and just laid up from the rough into the rough. I just kept compounding problems and mistakes out there."
Woods feels the longer wait in these tournaments, where they play in threes, played a part in him failing to hit a rhythm.
"It's just weird to say this but it was just we were playing so much slower than I'm used to," the 14-time major winner said. "It was just weird waiting that much.
"Not used to doing that. At home I guess we're flying a little quicker than this. It was just a different rhythm. We were out there talking most of the day trying just to kill time."
Adam Hadwin is the closest to first round leader Rose, after the Canadian shot a six-under 66. Gary Woodland, Brad Fritsch, Charles Howell III, Beau Hossler and Trey Mulinax are a further shot behind.
