Golf:Tiger Woods flashed his trademark smile after recording his first birdie since the US Masters when he sank a five-footer at the par-four 10th in the opening round of the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational today.
Back in competition for the first time in three months because of leg injuries, Woods parred his first nine holes on the heavily tree-lined layout at Firestone Country Club before finally getting into red numbers.
A pinpoint approach from the middle of the 10th fairway set up the birdie putt, which he calmly rolled into the heart of the cup to spark huge roars from the watching gallery.
With a noticeable spring in his step, he then headed off to the 11th tee from where he found the right fairway with his drive before executing another exquisite approach. Again, he coolly knocked in the birdie putt to trigger further applause from the fans packed around green.
Woods blotted his copybook at the 14th but would get back to two under at the long 16th as he finished alongside Rory McIlroy, six behind the early pacesetter Adam Scott.
Rory McIlroy, in his first start in America since capturing the US Open by eight shots in June, and world number one Luke Donald both returned 68s, while last year’s US Open champion Graeme McDowell went to the turn in 32, but then stumbled home in 39 for a disappointing one over 71.
McIlroy, who revealed on the eve of the event that he is almost certain to rejoin the PGA Tour next year, bogeyed two of his first four holes, but sank a 12-foot birdie putt on the 17th — his eighth — and then burst into life on the outward half.
A 230-yard second shot to within six feet of the flag set up an eagle on the 526-yard second and he followed that with a birdie before parring his way in.
McIlroy commented: “It was a decent opening round. I’ve still got a little bit to work on, but 68 is not a bad start.”
In contrast, McDowell ran up sixes at the second and 442-yard third after poor drives. Darren Clarke, playing alongside Woods, had a day to forget as he finished on seven over, the same mark as Irish Open winner Simon Dyson.
Padraig Harrington, clearly at odds with his game, finished on one over.
Collated Scores(par 70, US unless stated)
62Adam Scott (Aus)
63Jason Day (Aus)
65Nick Watney
66D.A. Points, Rory Sabbatini (Rsa), Kyung-tae Kim (Kor), Thomas Bjorn (Den),
Martin Laird (Sco), Stewart Cink, Brandt Snedeker, Pablo Larrazabal (Spa), Ryan Moore
67Phil Mickelson, Keegan Bradley, Jonathan Byrd, Lee Westwood (Eng), Ryo Ishikawa (Jpn)
68Charley Hoffman, Sergio Garcia (Spa), Geoff Ogilvy (Aus), Robert Karlsson
(Swe), Aaron Baddeley (Aus),
Rory McIlroy(NIrl), Fredrik Jacobson (Swe), Arjun
Atwal (Ind), Luke Donald (Eng), David Toms, Rickie Fowler, Bo Van Pelt, Tiger Woods, Lucas Glover
69Brendan Steele, Hennie Otto (Rsa), Alexander Noren (Swe), Scott Stallings,
Richard Green (Aus), Mark Wilson, Martin Kaymer (Ger), Richard Green (Aust), Bubba Watson
70Peter Hanson (Swe), Zach Johnson, Robert Allenby (Aus), Gary Woodland, Matteo Manessero (Ita)
71Hunter Mahan,
Graeme McDowell(NIrl), Ernie Els (Rsa), Louis Oosthuizen
(Rsa), Heath Slocum, Steve Stricker,
Padraig Harrington(Irl), Justin Rose (Eng), Ian Poulter, Matt Kuchar
72Anders Hansen (Den), Bill Haas, Jeff Overton, Retief Goosen (Rsa), Harrison
Frazar, Y.E. Yang (Kor), Eduardo Molinari (Ita), Sean O'Hair
73Francesco Molinari (Ita), Jim Furyk, Miguel Angel Jimenez (Spa), Jhonattan
Vegas (Ven), Jae-bum Park (Kor), Alvaro Quiros (Spa), Stuart Appleby (Aus), Paul Casey (Eng), Dustin Johnson
74Charl Schwartzel (Rsa), Yuta Ikeda (Jpn), KJ Choi (Kor)
77Simon Dyson (Eng),
Darren Clarke(NIrl)
