Tiger disappointed to let slip fine start
Tiger Woods dismissed concerns over his stiff neck and expressed his disappointment at letting a good start slip in the first round of the Open yesterday.
The 14-time major winner, who has three Claret Jugs, was appearing at the tournament for the first time since 2015 because of injury problems and subsequent back operations.
Despite an uncharacteristically – for him – late start time of 3.21pm, two birdies in his first four holes saw the galleries grow around him as hopes were raised of seeing a return to the Woods of old.
That start allayed any concerns which arose when the 42-year-old appeared owith supportive tape down the back of his neck.
“Just helping me support my neck a little bit. Makes me feel a little bit more comfortable,” he said of the taped support. “It’s been bugging me for a while. Everyone acts like this is the first time I’ve been bandaged up..” Asked whether it affected his swing he added: “A little bit here and there, but it’s all right.” It did not appear to impede him as he turned in two under, after hitting seven out of eight fairways and six out of nine greens.
He used his driver only once – but still only made par at the long sixth – but drove a three-wood into a bunker at 10 for his first dropped shot, with more sand trouble at the 15th after three-putting the par-three 13th from 25 feet. He ended level par with a 71.
“I played better than what the score indicates because I had two eight-irons into both par fives and I end up with par on both of those,” Woods said.
“It certainly could have been a little bit better.”