Tiger Woods: The King Of Torrey Pines Drops Three Birdies and One F-Bomb

Tiger Woods wasn't the king of anything last year, but he's always been the King of Torrey Pines.

With seven wins there in his pro career, he's done everything at Torrey but stash the deed to the magnificent property. So it was fitting that the 2011 version of Tiger would start his season on the property that has been his, the courses that have treated him like the king he used to be.

Golf's most famous reconstruction project played Thursday with Rocco Mediate, the man he beat at this venue for the 2008 U.S. Open title in the Battle of Wounded Knee. Throw in Nike stablemate Anthony Kim and Woods was launching the new golf year with a comfortable group.

"What a shocker," is what Rocco said when he found that the PGA Tour somehow managed to "randomly" pair him with Woods.

But enough of coincidence on to Woods debut.

In all, it wasn't bad. Wasn't great, wasn't bad. There would be only three birdies on the North Course that has been given new teeth. Yes, three birdies, one slammed club and only one F-bomb on national television. Woods' game may not be up to his glory days but his famous temper is.

The first birdie of 2011 came on his third hole of the day, the 190-yard par three 12th. He played the back nine first and stuffed one in there three feet and made it.

What would become puzzling in this opening round of 2011 would be Woods' inability to birdie a Par 5. El Tigre went oh-for-four on holes he used to devour.

He missed five putts of 10 feet or less and that's where his problems lingered last season.

"I played all right," he said afterwards. That was pretty fair observation. He wasn't good, wasn't bad, somewhere in between and that wasn't good enough on a day when guys like rookie Sung-Hoon Kang, Chris Kirk, Ruyji Imada and Rickie Fowler were all going low on that North course at Torrey.

Even the former Jack Daniels staff member—John Daly—went low over on the longer and tougher South Course. Daly, clad in Loudmouth Orange, had himself a nifty day with a five-under-par 67.

Woods was 1-1 against his playing partners. Kim nipped him by a shot, Rocco shot 71.

On this day, Woods was just one of the guys back in the pack.

Golf tournaments aren't won on the first day and Woods start, though indifferent, kept him in the conversation. And this year's conversation beats the heck out of what everyone was talking about 365 days ago.

Last year's laundry list of liaisons has been replaced by the big reconstruction reviews.

And this third major makeover of the Tiger Woods swing is still a work in progress, although there appeared to be progress.

This regal reconstruction project is still just that, a project.

Hank Haney used to be the project director, now he's hammering on Rush Limbaugh.

And while the world will wonder when Tiger Woods will win again—some things don't change.

Woods was nearly through the round when he found a fairway bunker on the eighth hole, his 17th of the day. His second shot was thin and caught the lip.

Then Woods unleashed a classic F-bomb as the announcers did their best to dance around it.

Yes, some facets of Tiger Woods are still a work in progress, and from the sounds there from the eighth fairway, some facets are in top form.

Good to have you back, Tiger.