Tiger shrugs off shaky start to take lead in Japan
He shoots a 64 in return from layoff
INZAI CITY, Japan — Tiger Woods couldn’t have scripted a better scenario for the PGA Tour’s first tournament in Japan despite his shaky start.
After a layoff from arthroscopic surgery on his left knee two months ago, Woods shot a 6-under 64 on Thursday to share the first-round lead at the Zozo Championship.
Woods was tied with Gary Woodland, with local favorite Hideki Matsuyama a stroke behind. They had to wait another day to get back on the course after heavy rain washed out play Friday.
Things didn’t start well for
Woods when he sent his opening shot into the water on No. 10 and bogeyed the first three holes.
“The start I got off to wasn’t very good, I hit bad shot after bad shot … and the next thing you know, things aren’t looking so good,” Woods said.
But the Masters champion quickly found his game at the Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club, with birdies on four of his next six holes. He had five birdies on the final seven holes.
“After the start, the ball-striking was better, the putting was really good,” Woods said. “I was hitting a lot of good putts, the ball was rolling tight which was nice. “
Woods is making his first start in his 23rd season on the PGA Tour, needing one victory to reach 82 wins and tie the career record held by Sam Snead.
As pleased as Woods was with his day, the Japanese fans couldn’t have been happier. The American is hugely popular in Japan and drew the biggest galleries Thursday.
“The people here in Japan have come out and supported this event,” Woods said. “It’s been a lot of fun to play in front of them again, I haven’t done it in a while. I’ve missed it. They’ve always been fantastic with golf and supported their golf here.”
In Busan, South Korea, Minjee Lee overcame changing weather conditions at the Buick Ladies Championship to take a one-stroke lead with a bogey-free 6-under 66 after the first round.
“Sometime we had sunshine, wind, rain … we had a little bit of everything today,” the 23-year-old Australian said Thursday under an umbrella at the end of her round as the showers persisted. “But whenever I had to make up-and-downs, I was able to get up-and-down.”
Danielle Kang, who won last week’s tournament at Shanghai, was in a group tied for second with Jin Young Ko, Jeongeun Lee6 and Seung Yeon Lee on the LPGA International Busan course.
Ko and Lee6 also went bogeyfree on Thursday.