Tiger Woods Shoots Par After Rough Start in 2018 Memorial Tournament 1st Round

A disastrous start prevented Tiger Woods from keeping pace with the leaders in Thursday's first round of the 2018 Memorial Tournament, as he carded an even-par 72 at Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio.

Woods, who started on the back nine, played his first seven holes in four-over par. His failure to execute on the par fives was the biggest source of the issues. He found the water on No. 11 en route to a bogey and posted a double bogey on the 15th after hitting his first tee shot out of bounds.

The five-time Memorial winner played better after the early struggles, pouring in five birdies over his final 11 holes to help salvage a round that could have ruined his entire tournament. He still walked off the course seven strokes behind leader Abraham Ancer with Round 1 play ongoing.

Woods' performance is made more disappointing by the optimistic tone he struck coming into the event. He recounted a conversation this week with tournament host and golf legend Jack Nicklaus about the state of his game after a strong finish in the Players Championship earlier in May.

"He was saying that my swing's starting to look a little bit better, and I said, 'Yeah, I'm really not that far away,' and he totally agreed," Woods told reporters. "He just kept urging me to be patient with it because he could see that I've made some pretty big strides this year and not far away from putting it all together."

Alas, the 14-time major champion was a shell of the player who surged with scores of 65 and 69 during weekend action in the Players for the early part of Thursday's round.

Most concerning is the fact different facets of his game let him down at separate times. He struggled with his driver, irons and putter to put himself at a disadvantage right away.

ESPN Stats & Info further showcased his back-nine problems:

Woods' recovery was spearheaded by three consecutive birdies starting on No. 5. He took away most of the drama by vastly improving his proximity to the hole. His three made putts during the hot streak combined for just over 10 feet.

Here's a look at some highlights from his resurgence:

Golf Channel's Tiger Tracker provided final stats from the round:

Looking ahead, Woods' start to the second round will play a crucial role in determining whether he can push himself toward contention or if he spends the day fighting to stay above the cut line. He can't afford another series of setbacks like he did Thursday as he seeks his first win since 2013.