Tiger Woods’ rollercoaster back-nine on PGA Tour return ends in dismal four over par 76
TIGER WOODS was mobbed by fans on his return to the PGA Tour proper – the problem was his drives kept ending up amongst them.
The 14-time Major winner – victorious eight times at Torrey Pines – fell apart on the back nine to shoot a four over par 76 while England’s Justin Rose hit the top.
Tiger Woods was mobbed by fans but more often than not his drives ended up next to themGetty Images
A limp fist pump met Woods’ birdie on the par-five 18th as he completed a final nine holes that included just one par.
Woods could not hit a fairway, could not hit a green and on the 15th could not even hit the course as his drive flew over a fence and into a ravine.
That led to a double-bogey six that came after three straight dropped shots – a horror run preceded by back-to-back birdies.
It was mad stuff with little consistency, apart from his regular appearance in the gnarly rough and, all things considered, a fairly reliable short game.
Maybe he will be the first person to beat the yips.
For the first time, though, the memories of his amazing US Open win on one leg in 2008 really did seem almost ten years ago.
Tiger Woods was wayward off the tee during the first round of the Farmers Insurance OpenGetty ImagesThe former world No 1 has a monumental mountain to climb to be as good as he once wasAP:Associated Press
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Three back surgeries in the space of 18 months are still having an effect on Woods and he was understandably rusty.
He is 41 now but looked even older in a golfing sense as Dustin Johnson and world No 1 Jason Day boomed drives past him.
But Woods has been open to the fact he needs another way to play.
That other way will have to come tomorrow if he is to have any hope of making the cut by taking on the easier North Course.
Already he sits some 11 shots behind leader Rose, who eagled his final hole, the par-five ninth, to sit alone at the top in the Farmers Insurance Open in California, US.
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