AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) Tiger Woods gave galleries at Augusta Nationwide something to cheer for in the first round at the Masters within three years.
Playing companion Marc Leishman provided even more shows.
Leishman birdied 3 of his first seven openings and was 3 under on the turn while playing alongside the primary attraction at the first major associated with 2018.
He required advantage of solid tee shots and also better approach shots while producing consecutive birdies at the second plus third holes. Leishman’ s sand wedge shot at the par-5 second rebounded onto the back fringe and unique back to within a few feet from the flag.
He almost drove the green at the par-4 third and chipped past the pit. But he drained a capturing, super-fast, downhill putt for another birdie. His approach shot at Number 7 checked up, spun remaining and landed a few feet aside for another short birdie.
Even when Leishman wasn’ t obtaining close for birdies, he has been doing enough to save par. This individual came up just a few revolutions brief for another birdie at the par-5 8th.
He and 66-year-old Vijay Singh were tied on top of the leaderboard at 3 below.
Woods wasn’ to nearly as dialed in. Yet that’ s normal for your pet early at the Masters. Woods provides only shot under once (a 68 in 2010) in the starting round at Augusta.
Still, Woods had some times on the front side.
Woods nearly drove the eco-friendly at the par-4 No . 3, frequency to about 10 feet plus made the putt to set away a huge ” Tiger Roar. ” It was Woods’ first competitive birdie at the famed course since Apr 12, 2015, when he carded a 4 at No . fifteen in the final round of the Experts. He finished tied for seventeenth that year.
Hardwoods gave strokes back on the following two holes and was one over at the turn. He had seventeen putts through nine holes, not really the start he was looking for at a training course he knows that putting is at superior.
Woods found the greenside bunker at the par-3 4th. He chipped out and skipped a 20-footer. He drove right into a bunker at the par-4 fifth plus left the sand shot nicely short of the flag. He putted past the hole and left the particular comebacker on the left edge.
Woods turned 42 in late last year. He has been away from golfing for much of the last few years due to his four back surgeries. The particular Masters will be the first major he or she plays since the PGA Championship within August 2015.
Just last year, Woods said he had difficulty just sitting through the dinner in the Masters Club of past winners because of pain from his back shooting down his legs. That will hurt about as much as being at Augusta National without his clubs for your second straight year, not knowing whenever or even if he would return.
The low point came final summer when he was imprisoned on a DUI charge in Fl after police found him sleeping behind the wheel, his car parked awkwardly on the side of the road with the motor still running. Woods was discovered to have a mix of prescription pills to assist with pain and sleep. He or she sought treatment, and then perhaps the greatest therapy was being among players being an assistant captain at the Presidents Glass.
He returned this year and has played in six activities.
He was in the law at the Valspar Championship in Hand Harbor, Florida, and again the next week at Bay Hill in Orlando, florida.
He drove the particular ball well to open Thursday’ t first round, but needed eleven puts through the first six openings.
Other featured groupings, including those featuring world Number 1 Dustin Johnson , 2015 Masters champ Jordan Spieth , Rory McIlroy , Justin Thomas, two-time Masters winner Bubba Watson plus three-time Masters winner Phil Mickelson , had been scheduled to tee off afterwards.
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