PALM HARBOR, Fla. (AP) – Tiger Woods moved spectators and a TV truck, and then warned everybody in earshot.
He had no idea what was going to happen with his ball sitting near an oak tree at the par-4 16th.
It turned out to be one of his best shots of the day, a low-running wedge from slippery, fallen leaves that could have broken his club and a few fingers.
It ended up just short of the green , Woods followed with a chip shot to 3 feet that saved par and provided one of the top highlights from the opening round at the Valspar Championship on a blustery Thursday.
It also helped Woods finish at 1-under 70 and three shots back of first-round leader Corey Conners.
“It didn’t feel very good,” said Woods, who let go of the club as it started to wrap about the tree trunk. “I moved all the people even and warned them in case the club breaks and gets over there. I pitched it up the hill and came out nicely.”
More like perfectly.
Woods was nearly as good with his next tee shot, a 5-iron to 2 feet on the par-3 17th. He tapped in for a birdie and his best start in nearly three years.
It was his first opening round under par on the PGA Tour since a 64 in the Wyndham Championship in August 2015. To be fair, he’s only played six opening rounds since.
Still, there was a lot to feel good about considering Woods remains a work in progress while returning from a fourth back surgery.
Woods is trying to get his game ready for the Masters, and without being eligible for the two World Golf Championships in the spring, he needed a place to play.
Woods captivated thousands with every shot. He had a Sunday crowd – in 50–degree weather and gusting winds _ following his every move around the Copperhead course at Innisbrook. Fans lined both sides of every fairway, waiting hours just to get a glimpse of Woods in his first appearance at the event.