Woods off to good start at Greenbrier
WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W.Va. — For a change, Tiger Woods got off to a good start.
Woods rebounded from a dismal U.S. Open with a 4-under-par 66 in Thursday’s opening round of The Greenbrier Classic, four shots behind leader Scott Langley.
Helped by a morning rain that softened the Old White TPC course in West Virginia, Woods posted his lowest score of the season and matched his best in relation to par.
It was only the fourth time he shot in the 60s in 21 rounds. None on the first day of a tournament.
“Overall I can’t really say I hit any great shots, but I hit a lot of good ones,” Woods said. “I hit the ball better than what my score indicates.”
Two weeks ago at the U.S. Open, Woods had the highest 36-hole score of his pro career — 156.
Woods came to Greenbrier ranked No. 220 in the world and faced with the prospect of missing cuts in consecutive tournaments for the first time since 1994, when he had not yet turned pro.
For one round, at least, his solid game returned.
“Overall, if you drive the ball well here, you’re going to probably have at least seven shots with 9-iron or below into the greens, and you’re going to have to capitalize on that,” Woods said. “So far I’m one of those guys who did.”
Woods started on the back nine Thursday and birdied three of his first seven holes.
He made bogey on the par-5 17th after his drive went into a hazard to the right, and a double bogey from a greenside bunker on the sixth hole left him at 1 under on his round.
Woods said he adjusted his aim after noticing that playing partners Steve Stricker and David Lingmerth were missing putts on the high side of the hole.
“I lowered my line just a touch, maybe half a ball here and there, and it seemed to pay off,” he said.
Woods finished with three straight birdies, making bending putts of 18 and 19 feet on the final two holes.
“Just trying to get back to 3 (under), and we just happened to pull off a hat trick coming home,” he said.
