Tiger Woods Near the Top of Leaderboard After Strong 1st Round at 2019 Masters
April 11, 2019
Tiger Woods is in contention for his fifth green jacket.
The star golfer was excellent on Thursday in the opening round of the Masters at Augusta National, shooting a two-under 70 to go into the clubhouse in a tie for sixth place, just one stroke behind five players at three-under. It was an excellent start for Woods, as he seeks to win his first major since 2008 and his first Masters since 2005.
Woods started his day in style, with three pars and a birdie on No. 2. But a bogey on No. 5 and three straight pars left Woods even through eight.
He heated up from there, however, with birdies on Nos. 9, 13 and 14.
His birdie on No. 14 tied him for the lead, something that hasn't happened at the Masters in quite some time:
It looked like Woods might go into the clubhouse as the leader, given his excellent run of play up to that point. But he missed a nine-foot par putt on No. 17, bogeying the hole, before hitting his tee shot on the 18th into the bunker. Woods recovered to par that hole, leaving him at two under for the day.
Even though Woods lost some of his momentum late, it was still a very promising round for the veteran golfer, especially when you consider how he's performed in the opening round during his Augusta triumphs:
Woods should be pleased with his round. While he undoubtedly left a few strokes on the course, the rest of the field did, too. It's the Masters, after all—nothing comes easy.
Woods is in the running. That's all he can really ask for at this point. With three rounds of golf left, a lot can happen, and Woods can't afford to slip. But Thursday was a fantastic start for a player who hasn't conquered a major in over a decade.
Now he just has to do it three more times.