Golf:Tiger Woods said the fun had returned to his game after a self-imposed exile but the numbers he posted during the opening round of the Quail Hollow Championship in North Carolina will have done little to bolster the mood.
The world number one slumped to a two over 74 and was a considerable nine shots off the lead held by American Bo Van Pelt, who shot a flawless 65 at the Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, where Pádraig Harrington and Rory McIlroy, like Woods, made their first appearances since the Masters.
Van Pelt led by three from a chasing pack on four under that included the American pair of Paul Goydos and Billy Mayfair, Australian Geoff Ogilvy plus Colombia's Camilo Villegas (after 13 holes).
Masters champion Phil Mickelson was three under through 14 holes while Lee Westwood, his nearest challenger at Augusta, shot 73.
As expected huge galleries turned out to witness Woods compete in his first regular PGA Tour event since his five absence from the game. The high volume of security guards around Woods’ group was highly visible too.
His reappearance on the main circuit was a different affair to the controlled environment at Augusta but there was little to fear as the only “Boo” chants were for that of Boo Weekley, playing in a group behind Woods.
After starting on the back nine Woods birdied the par five 10th as the crowds erupted with one fan yelling: "It's good to have you back, Tiger!"
The 34-year-old acknowledged the support with approving nods but on the whole there was little to cheer about. Glimpses of magic appeared from a round containing four birdies, but ultimately, Woods was made to pay for too many errant tee shots.
"It was a terrible day to begin with," said a disappointed Woods afterwards. "I just didn't have it today."
Aside from birdies at the second, fifth, eighth and 10th he also had four bogeys plus a double bogey at the par three 17th after finding water. His driving was so erratic he twice found water and made a couple of excursions into the trees.
"I didn't hit the ball very good at all. I had a two way miss with everything. I didn't know which way I was going to go, left or right,” added Woods.
“Two balls in the water, and pretty much struggled all day. I had my head down struggling. I was dropping balls out of hazards and finding balls in trees."
Three of his birdies came in a seven hole spell from the second but it was a poor day at the office and time spent on the range afterwards was quickly dismissed.
"I'm not going to the range today. (To) hell with it," he said.
Towards the end McIlroy wasn’t having much fun on the course either but he still managed to card an opening level par 72. The 20-year-old’s round promised so much more after he got to three under through 11 but his game then became untidy. A bogey at 12 was followed by a double-bogey six at the 16th to undo all his earlier good work.
Harrington started on the back nine and traded two bogeys against as many birdies from the 12th before a third bogey came at the 18th. The Dubliner was one over with six holes to play.