Tiger Woods at Hero World Challenge 2016: Thursday Leaderboard Score, Reaction
Tiger Woods enjoyed some vintage highs and endured a handful of frustrating lows in his long-awaited return to competitive golf Thursday, as the 14-time major champion posted a one-over 73 in the opening round of the 2016 Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas.
Woods had last teed it up at the 2015 Wyndham Championship nearly 16 months ago—466 days, to be exact. After an extended rehabilitation process following multiple back surgeries, golf's biggest draw looked healthy and ready to compete in Round 1.
Although there were unsurprising signs of rust, including a series of mistakes over the final three holes, the round showed he's capable of making a charge when his game is clicking. There's still plenty of room for improvement, though.
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Let's check out Woods' scorecard from Day 1 at the Albany Golf & Beach Resort:
| Par | 4 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 36 |
| Score | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 33 |
| Total | E | E | -1 | -1 | -1 | -2 | -3 | -4 | -3 | - |
| Par | 4 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 36 |
| Score | 4 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 3 | 6 | 40 |
| Total | -3 | -2 | -2 | -2 | -2 | -3 | -1 | -1 | +1 | - |
And here's an updated look at the tournament leaderboard:
Bob Harig of ESPN.com passed along comments Woods made this week as he prepared to make his comeback as the 898th-ranked player in the world.
"People around me who know me—my physicians, my friends, family—they know how hard it's been to get to this point," he said. "It's taken a lot of work, but I'm here."
Woods posted a message on social media Thursday morning before taking to the course:
The Hero World Challenge, which he hosts to benefit the Tiger Woods Foundation, represented a soft landing spot for his return. It's an 18-player field with no cut, giving him an opportunity to compete against some of the best players in the world across four rounds.
His presence made it feel more like a marquee PGA Tour event, though, and he gave the fans in attendance plenty of reason to get excited in the early going.
Woods carded four birdies over the first eight holes, highlighted by three straight starting on the par-five sixth. His swing, which had gotten out of whack while he tried to overcome his back injury, looked more consistent, smooth and repeatable.
The best example came off the tee on the eighth. The PGA Tour showcased the laser-guided approach that rolled within a few feet of the hole:
After Woods tapped in the ensuing putt for birdie, Ian Poulter posted a message from the other side of the globe at the Australian PGA Championship:
Woods failed to take advantage of the next two par fives, posting bogeys on both the ninth and 11th. In both cases, he couldn't find the fairway off the tee and never recovered.
One of the biggest concerns coming into the event was his short game, which had become a mental battle before his layoff. The issue reared its ugly head again on the ninth, where Woods' first chip attempt failed to find the putting surface following some good work around the greens earlier in the day.
The PGA Tour spotlighted the mistake:
Lackluster play off the tee halted Woods' momentum on the back nine. The silver lining, however, was the fact that it was a one-way miss—left—as compared to before the injury, when he was hitting the ball everywhere but the fairway with his driver.
It still forced the fan favorite to scramble, especially during the middle portion of the round. Brian Wacker of Golf Digest described Woods' wild journey around the 14th:
Woods got into more trouble with a wayward approach on No. 16 following a birdie at No. 15. His only option was to hack the ball out backward, and a poor pitch shot led to a double bogey.
His day ended on a low note, as he found the water off the final tee. Once again, it was a miss to the left by a considerable margin, so there's no doubt that will be the greatest area of emphasis looking toward Friday's second round.
Golf Channel's Tiger Tracker provided the final numbers:
Former coach Hank Haney came away with an optimistic view of the star's future:
Woods' health is the most crucial factor coming out of the round. There were some cringeworthy moments in the final months before his extended absence as he struggled to complete simple tasks such as placing the tee or taking the ball out of the hole.
There were no such difficulties Thursday afternoon. He moved around the course well and seemed focused on distance control and hitting good shots rather than the state of his back, which is a terrific sign.
Looking ahead, completing all four rounds without a health setback would make for a successful tournament, regardless of where Woods finishes. This is merely the first step in a process he hopes will get him ready to contend at the Masters in April.
Post-Round Reaction
The PGA Tour relayed Woods' initial reaction to the opening round, including comments about how his body held up to the grind of competition:
Beyond that, he noted one of the biggest differences between his practice sessions and Thursday was the way you feel when the results matter, per Tiger Tracker.
"You can't simulate the surge of adrenaline come tournament time," Woods said.
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