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SCOTTSDALE. — Tiger Woods mixed the good and bad with a fair dose of the ugly on the way to an opening two-over-par 73 at the Waste Management Phoenix Open on Thursday in his first PGA Tour start of the golf season.
Playing in only his second tournament in five months after enduring back problems for much of last year, the former world number one looked rusty as he struggled with his short game under leaden skies at the TPC Scottsdale.
Woods sprayed his drives, under-hit several approaches and was a frustrated figure after duffing a few chip shots from just off the green before ending the day a distant eight strokes off the early lead.
“It was just about trying to be so committed to the swing change and do it,” Woods, who has been working with new consultant Chris Como, told reporters after hitting only five of 14 fairways and reaching 10 of 18 greens in regulation.
“I struggled with it at the very beginning. I saw a lot of balls go to the right, then I started to fix it on the back nine.
“I just need tournament rounds like this where I can fight, fight through it, turn it around, grind through it and make adjustments on the fly.” — Reuters.
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