Tiger Woods took a conservative three-wood off the first hole on Thursday at the Quicken Loans National when many players were hitting driver. No matter — he still pull-hooked it into the gallery, hit his second shot into a greenside bunker and lipped out a five-footer for par before slamming his putter against his bag.
On the third hole, he missed the green well left and had to get up-and-down for bogey. A three-putt on No. 4 left him three-over.
It was his final bogey of the day.
Woods got a fortunate deflection off a marshal left of the green on the par-five fifth. He apologized, handed out an autographed glove and made his first birdie. Then he ran off five birdies in six holes around the turn for a three-under 68. That left him five shots behind leaders Retief Goosen and Ryo Ishikawa at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club.
Woods is the host of the Quicken Loans National, which he won in 2009 and 2012 at Congressional in Maryland.
Woods got up-and-down from a greenside bunker for birdie on the par-five eighth. He made a nine-footer on 10 and a seven-footer on 11. He hit his approach to tap-in range on 12, the most difficult hole on the course, and ended the run with a 12-footer on 13. He two-putted for par on the final five holes.
In soft conditions with little wind, Woods’ 68 was only good for a tie for 27th. Players were allowed to lift, clean and place their golf balls on the rain-softened fairways, and 81 of them managed to break par.
The course is welcoming a regular PGA Tour event for the first time after hosting four Presidents Cups, most recently in 2005, and experience seemed to help. Goosen, who played in two of those events, had a bogey-free 63. Presidents Cup veterans Ernie Els and Justin Leonard were one shot back, along with Kevin Chappell.
Goosen, a 46-year-old two-time major champion, is finally feeling healthy after major back surgery in 2012. Always stoic on the course, he still has plenty of passion for the game, which he showed by qualifying for both the US Open and The Open.
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