STAR NOUSTIE
Golf fans - and opponents still dazzled by Woods as he - hits his best Major form in five years
AFTER three years away from the Open, he was welcomed onto the first tee like a returning hero.
Even his playing partner Russell Knox admitted to being in awe of Tiger Woods, the Scot saying: “He’s almost like a mythical figure.”
But after rolling in an eightfoot birdie on the opening green, there was none of the smiles and waves that accompanied the American’s latest reincarnation as a sentimental favourite.
Despite being held together by sticky tape on his neck, Woods had his old game face back in his best opening nine holes in a Major for five years.
He also showed new frailties coming home to finish on a level-par 71 and sit five shots off the first-round lead down in tied 32nd place.
The sun and parched fairways were just like at Hoylake in 2006, the former world No.1’s last Open success.
And the crowds were throwbacks to the 14-time Major winner’s heyday, along with Japanese TV crews and a sacrificial home player as part of the circus.
You can keep your Dustins and Justins and Jordans. There is no buzz on a golf course like when Woods is striding down the fairways. He is still the main man – the greatest show on turf.
He lit up a soporific afternoon and his star quality kept huge galleries at Carnoustie until he walked off the 18th at 8.22 last night, even if his game plan was less than sexy in the tougher later conditions. He hit only one
driver in four days in 2006 and used his longest club only once yesterday, and 15 irons of the tee.
It was pragmatic rather than spectacular as the afternoon breeze picked up.
“I’m just playing to my spots,” he said. “And if the wind allows me to be more aggressive, then, obviously, I get it down there.
“It’s just hard to control that ball on the green, especially when it’s rolling about 100 yards. It’s just really hard.”
Woods made birdies at the first and fourth holes – and unleashed his driver for the only time on the par-five sixth but missed a six-foot birdie putt.
He did make a sand save from similar distance on the ninth and celebrated with a first pump. It was the first time the 42-year-old had been under par after nine holes since the 2013 US PGA. He was back in the Major business.
But Carnoustie gives and it takes away. He bogeyed 10 after finding a fairway bunker with a three-wood off the tee, nailed a 40-footer on 11 just as a train sped past and three-putted from a shorter distance at 12. He found another bunker off the tee at 15 to slide back to level par.
It was still better than the average of 75.6 he had carded in his previous seven rounds in Major championships.
“I played better than the score indicates because I had two eight irons into both par fives today, and I end up with par on both of those,” he said.
“If I just clean up those two holes and play them the way I’m supposed to play them with an eight iron in my hand, I think I’d probably have the best round in the afternoon wave.”
His supporting cast struggled in his spotlight. Irish Open winner Knox (above) had a poster of Woods on his bedroom wall as a boy but his round of 73 was not a pretty picture
“I was reasonably happy with my score – I played dreadful,” said the world No.49. “It was just like I had too much tension. I just wasn’t letting it go as normal. Was I in awe? I’m not going to lie. He’s a person I’ve seen on the range in the past and he’s almost like a mythical figure. I don’t want to get it out of my system.”