The Latest: Birdie on 16th gets Woods back to even par
SAN DIEGO (AP) The Latest on Tiger Woods' opening round Thursday at the Farmers Insurance Open (all times local):
3 p.m.
Tiger Woods came within six inches of a hole-in-one on the par-3 16th hole at Torrey Pines South in his PGA Tour season debut in the Farmers Insurance Open.
It was by far the best shot of the day for Woods, who struggled with his putter and showed frustration on several holes.
His 189-yard iron shot on the 16th bounced on the green and then rolled just right of the cup. Woods hunched down to watch the shot, and the gallery cheered and then groaned when it saw how close he came to an ace.
The birdie got Woods back to even par.
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2:20 p.m.
After reaching even par for the first time in the round, Tiger Woods had another adventuresome hole and was back to 1-over in the Farmers Insurance Open in his season debut on the PGA Tour.
Woods took his third bogey of the round on the par-5 13th at Torrey Pines South. He hit his tee shot into the gallery, lowering his head and clinching up in frustration. He had a nice shot from near a cart path onto the fairway and then hit into a greenside bunker. After getting onto the green, his three-foot par putt lipped out.
He birdied No. 10 to reach even par and then had two straight pars before the 13th left him glum-faced.
Woods was 1-over at the turn after a front nine that saw him grimace, curse and swing an iron through the air in frustration.
Woods is returning after fusion surgery on his lower back last April, his fourth back operation in three years. When he tried to return after a 16-month break last year at Torrey Pines, he missed the 36-hole cut.
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1:10 p.m.
Tiger Woods is plodding through a frustrating PGA Tour season debut in the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines.
Woods is 1-over at the turn on the South Course after a front nine that saw him grimace, curse and swing an iron through the air in frustration.
His face was expressionless after he tapped in for par on the ninth hole for a 37, six strokes off the lead.
He made only one birdie, on the par-5 sixth, and even that came with some frustration. His long eagle putt was on line but stopped about two inches from the hole. Woods raised his putter with his left hand in anticipation as the ball approached the hole, and then spun away in disappointment when it stopped short of the cup. He tapped in for birdie to get back to plus-1.
On the par-3 eighth, his tee shot overshot the green. He turned and swung his iron through the air in frustration.
Earlier, he cursed when his tee shot on No. 5 landed in a bunker and grimaced when he overshot the green on the second hole.
Woods is returning after fusion surgery on his lower back last April, his fourth back operation in three years. When he tried to return after a 16-month break last year at Torrey Pines, he missed the 36-hole cut.
It was a typically gorgeous day at Torrey Pines, with hang-gliders floating on the breeze along the seaside holes.
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12:30 p.m.
It took Tiger Woods six holes to make his first birdie in the opening round of the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines.
Woods' long eagle putt on the par-5 No. 6 on the South Course was on line but stopped about two inches from the hole. Woods raised his putter with his left hand in anticipation as the ball approached the hole, and then spun away in disappointment when it stopped just short. He tapped in for birdie to get back to plus-1, six shots off the lead.
Woods showed plenty of frustration on the first five holes when he opened bogey, par, par, par, bogey.
His tee shot on No. 5 landed in a bunker. He went bunker-to-bunker in taking a par.
Woods is returning after fusion surgery on his lower back last April, his fourth back operation in three years. When he tried to return after a 16-month break last year at Torrey Pines, he missed the 36-hole cut.
Woods said he no longer has pain in his back.
This will be only his second PGA Tour event since August 2015.
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11:30 a.m.
Tiger Woods is 1-over in his first three holes in the opening round of the Farmers Classic at Torrey Pines and already showing his frustration.
He opened with bogey, par, par on the South Course. His tee shot on No. 1 went way left and his second shot landed in a greenside bunker. On No. 2, he overshot the green and grimaced. On the par-3 third hole, his birdie putt rolled to the right of the hole and he squatted down in frustration.
Woods is starting his season at a course that has been good to him over the years. He's won this tournament seven times, and this course is where he had his dramatic U.S. Open win in 2008 and a Junior World Championship as a teenager.
He is returning after fusion surgery on his lower back last April, his fourth back operation in three years. When he tried to return after a 16-month break last year at Torrey Pines, he missed the 36-hole cut.
Woods said he no longer has pain in his back.
This will be only his second PGA Tour event since August 2015.
- Bernie Wilson reporting in San Diego.
