Tiger Woods struggled in his second comeback tournament on Thursday, limping to an opening two-over 74 at the Quail Hollow Championship.
The world No. 1 displayed all the rustiness expected of someone who had spent five months out of the game until the US Masters three weeks ago, carding four bogeys and a double-bogey to finish nine shots behind first-round leader Bo Van Pelt (65).
“It was a terrible day to begin with,” said Woods, who was playing his first event since finishing joint fourth at the Masters. “I didn’t hit the ball very good at all.”
PHOTO: AFP
While Woods commanded most attention, fellow American Van Pelt stormed to a seven-under 65 with a flawless round featuring seven birdies.
Van Pelt, who claimed his first PGA Tour win at the Milwaukee Championship last year, has struggled with his putting this year. He has tried 10 different blades, before finally deciding to refurbish the putter he used when he won in July.
“I was temporarily insane for about eight weeks,” Van Pelt said. “I was changing putters all the time and trying new stuff, and finally went back to an old putter I had used for about four and a half years that I won with last year. I guess I’ve got a lot of good feelings with that putter, so it was just good to have it back in my hands.”
Van Pelt was one stroke ahead of fellow American Kenny Perry and two ahead of Colombia’s Camilo Villegas.
Perry reached seven-under when he eagled the par-five seventh, his 16th hole, but bogeyed the next to surrender a share of the lead.
US Masters champion Phil Mickelson shot a 70 less than 24 hours after requiring an intravenous drip to participate in the tournament. The American withdrew from Wednesday’s pro-am complaining of dehydration.
He pointed out that the last time he was sick, in Miami last year, he won the WGC-CA Championship.
“The last two times I’ve fainted and woken up in a pool of vomit, I’ve won,” said Mickelson, whose other victory came in San Diego in 2001.
Woods made a bright start with a birdie at the 10th, his opening hole, but dropped four strokes around the turn after finding water off the tee at the 17th and 18th.
Despite his erratic tee shots and unplanned excursions off the fairway, Woods fared better than Parker McLachlin, who ballooned to a 16-over 88 that included a 12 on the seventh hole.
McLachlin put four balls in the water at the par-five seventh to equal the worst score on a PGA Tour hole this year.
■SPANISH OPEN
REUTERS, SEVILLE, SPAIN
European Ryder Cup captain Colin Montgomerie blew his top in inimitable style when a burst of disco music spoiled his Spanish Open first round on Thursday.
Montgomerie had put together a solid opening round and needed a birdie on his last hole to lie only four shots off the lead when he three-putted for a bogey to the accompaniment of loud disco music from a nearby tent.
“Is this a f***ing party or a golf tournament?” the 46-year-old Briton fumed after signing for a one-under 71 that left him six strokes behind leader Ricardo Gonzalez of Argentina.
Gonzalez continued his love affair with Spain and the Real Club course where he won the 2004 Seville Open.
“I love the country, the people, the food, everything, it’s like being home,” he said after his 65.
Gonzalez leads by a stroke from Briton Paul Waring.
Argentine Rafa Echenique, Spanish trio Alvaro Quiros, Sebi Garcia and Carlos Del Moral, Swedes Martin Erlandsson and Mikael Lundberg, Irishman Damien McGrane, and Britons Simon Dyson and Danny Willett all shared third place on 68.
TAIWANESE EXITS: Fellow Australian Christopher O’Connell joined Tristan Schoolkate as a winner following his 6-1, 6-2 defeat of Tseng Hsin-chun Australian qualifier Tristan Schoolkate on Monday dispatched rising Brazilian talent Joao Fonseca 7-6 (7/5), 6-4 at the ATP Toronto Masters, ensuring a breakthrough into the world top 100. The 24-year-old from Perth moved to 98th in the ongoing live rankings as he claimed his biggest career victory by knocking out the ATP NextGen champion from November last year. Schoolkate, son of a tennis coach, won his first match over a top-50 opponent on his sixth attempt as he ousted the world No. 49 teenager from Brazil. The qualifier played a quarter-final this month in Los Cabos and won through qualifying for his
Top seeds Alexander Zverev of Germany and American Coco Gauff on Tuesday advanced to the third round of the Canadian Open after both players were pushed hard by their opponents. World No. 3 Zverev, playing in his first match since his first-round loss at Wimbledon, was far from his best, but emerged with a 7-6 (8/6), 6-4 win over Adam Walton under the lights in Toronto. Momentum shifted firmly in Zverev’s favor when he won a 52-shot rally in the first set tiebreak and he sealed the win on a double fault by the Australian in the second set. “It was a very
Canadian teenager Victoria Mboko upset top-seeded Coco Gauff 6-1, 6-4 on Saturday night to reach the National Bank Open quarter-finals. “Your support was incredible,” Mboko told the crowd in French after a chorus of “Ole, Ole, Ole” chants echoed around the venue. “I’m really happy to win today ... It’s incredible. I’m so happy to beat such a great champion.” Gauff dropped to 2-3 since winning the French Open. She followed the major victory with opening losses in Berlin and Wimbledon, then overcame double-fault problems to win two three-set matches in Montreal. Gauff had five double-faults on Saturday after having 23 in
Formula 1 champion Max Verstappen on Thursday said that he is staying with the Red Bull team next year, ending months of speculation over his future. “Some people just like to stir the pot, some people just like to create drama, but, for me, it’s always been quite clear, and also for next year,” the four-time champion said ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix. “I’m discussing with the team already the plans — the things that we want to change for next year, so that means that I’m also staying with the team for next year,” he said. Verstappen has a contract with
RSS