SAN DIEGO — A new, surgically modified version of Tiger Woods, armed with new equipment and downsized expectations, launched his latest comeback on the PGA Tour on Thursday by shooting an even-par 72 on the South Course at Torrey Pines during the opening round of the Farmers Insurance Open.
Woods finished the day tied for 84th, seven shots behind early leader Tony Finau, who shot a 7-under 65 on the North course.
This is Woods’ first PGA Tour event since last year’s Farmers, where he ended the longest layoff of his career and shot 76-72 to miss the cut. A week later, he had to withdraw from a European Tour event in Dubai because of back spasms, leading to spinal fusion surgery in April and another season-ending layoff. He played in the exhibition Hero World Challenge in December, turning in an up-and-down performance.
One year after his last official Tour event, Woods insisted it was “the best I’ve felt in years” because the surgery to fuse two vertebrae in his lower back — the fourth surgical procedure on his back since 2014 — had eliminated all of his pain, enabling him to practice and play without limitations.
Huge galleries lined the fairways and surrounded every tee and green as he made his way around the course Thursday. That scene was reminiscent of his 2008 U.S. Open triumph here, as was his opening tee shot on No. 1 — a pulled driver into the deep left rough, on the way to a greenside bunker and 2-putt bogey. He won the 2008 Open despite making three double-bogeys on the opening hole.
Woods, 42, said he had a new mindset as he attempts to get his record-breaking career (79 PGA Tour wins, including 14 majors) back on track. Known for declaring his only goal is to win every event he enters, he now concedes that his expectations have been “tempered a little bit” because he hasn’t played a full schedule in several years.
“To be honest with you, I just want to start playing on the Tour and getting into a rhythm of playing a schedule again,” he said during a media interview session here Wednesday. “I haven’t done that in such a long time, so I don’t know what to expect.”
His return to the PGA Tour started with an up-and-down round, including three bogeys to go along with three birdies. Woods shot a near-ace on the 188-yard, par-3 16th, where his towering 6 iron faded toward the flagstick and stopped 8 inches from the cup.
After errant tee shots led to bogeys on No. 1 and No. 5, his driving was solid and long. He hit five of seven fairways on the front nine and finished 8 of 14, including a handful of drives in the 310- to 320-yard range. Overall, he averaged 299 yards off the tee.
He hit 12 of 18 greens in regulation, but his short game saved him from several more bogeys. He got up and down for par from deep rough behind the second and eighth greens, and he saved par from a greenside bunker on No. 7.
Afterward, Woods said it “was fun to compete again” but admitted he was “a little bit rusty.”
He was most disappointed by inconsistent iron play.
“I have to hit my irons better than that,” he said, adding that he failed to give himself many birdie opportunities when he hit fairways.
His birdies came on No. 6, a 560-yard par-5, where he reached the green in two and lagged his long eagle putt to within inches; No. 10, a 416-yard par-4, where he hit a sand wedge to tap-in range; and No. 16, where he just missed a hole-in-one.
It was anything but a surprise that Woods chose to open his season at Torrey Pines, where he has won nine times. But he has not won here since 2013, and he finished tied for 80th in 2014, had to withdraw in 2015, did not play in 2016 and missed the cut in 2017.
Woods will play the North Course in Friday’s second round. Everyone in the field plays one round on the South Course and one on the North Course before the 36-hole cut is established. The cut was even par a year ago.
