The round didn't start off very well for Tiger Woods, but he eventually got rolling.
Although it may not have been a vintage Tiger Woods round -- or even compare to how he played Royal Liverpool in 2006 -- Woods looked strong and like a contender during the first round of the 2014 British Open. The former world No. 1 rounded into form as the round went on and a strong closing nine helped him come in with a 3-under round of 69.
While Woods finished the day with a strong round, it didn't look like he was headed there early on. In fact, Woods got off to a rough start and appeared to be more likely on his way to a round in the 80s instead of the 60s. He hit a very poor approach shot on No. 1, finding one of the many greenside pot bunkers. His lie in the bunker didn't leave much of a shot and he his next shot ran off the green and down the opposite slope. He chipped up and tapped in for bogey, not exactly the start he was probably hoping for. Things got worse before they got better. He three-putted on No. 2 for another bogey and dropped to 2-over through two holes.
Coming off a lackluster showing at Congressional, it was easy to question whether Woods was simply in good enough form to compete for a major championship. He put those questions on hold fairly quickly, however, as he settled into form. A birdie on the par-5 5th hole dropped him to 1-over. That was where he made the turn following four pars to close his front nine.
Woods began to dial in on the back nine. The turnaround began at No. 11 where despite missing his approach to the right, Woods holed a lengthy birdie putt to get back to even.
That proved to be the start of a string of red numbers. Woods birdied No. 12 and No. 13 to drop to 2-under. He gave away a shot with a bogey at No. 14, only to get it right back and then some with back-to-back bogeys at Nos. 15 and 16. His entire game was sharp during that stretch. He had some success off the tee -- although he hit a few poor shots -- rolled in a couple very tough putts, chipped well and even stiffed an approach shot. A good six-hole stretch is only a minor piece of a 72-hole tournament, but the stretch proved Woods was at least physically capable of stringing together good shots.
Woods closed his round with two pars to come in at 69. He's currently tied for eighth place. The round was a major step in the right direction for Woods, who appeared to be in much better form than he was at any point at Congressional. He didn't appear to have any issues physically and his short game and touch were much sharper. He was still far from perfect, missing on too many approach shots and hitting a few errant tee shots. Still, for a player playing in just his second competitive event in three months, Thursday can't be considered anything but a success.
from SBNation.com - All Posts http://ift.tt/1ywbaN7
0 commentaires:
Enregistrer un commentaire