Woods competitive in return to Riviera
Despite a lost ball and some mistakes, Tiger posts a 72.
Three holes into his return to Riviera Country Club in Los Angeles after a 12-year absence, Tiger Woods was 2-over par and bracing for the worst.
It turned out to be another step forward.
“I hung in there well and grinded,” said Woods, who last played Riviera in 2006 when he withdrew after making the cut because of the flu.
Woods overcame a drive that apparently never came down from a eucalyptus tree, another tee shot that wound up on another hole and few careless mistakes with the irons to post a 1-over 72 in the opening round Thursday at the Genesis Open.
Patrick Cantlay returned to what amounts to his home course on the PGA Tour and shot a 5-under 66 to share the lead.
Cantlay shared the lead with Tony Finau, who had four birdies in his opening five holes.
Starting on the reachable par-4 10th, where one mistake can lead to big numbers, Woods played it perfectly with an iron to the far left of the fairway for the best angle into the green, a wedge to just under 10 feet and a birdie.
His drive on the par-5 11th sailed to the right toward the trees. About 10 minutes later, a golf cart drove up to the tee with Woods in the passenger seat. He never found his ball, presumably swallowed up by a tree. There were questions that someone picked it up, but not enough evidence to suggest it.
He made double bogey. Then, he lost his tee shot to the right, hit out of a greenside bunker past the flag and onto the fringe, and had to work for bogey.
“I was 1 under early — first hole — and all of a sudden I went double bogey-bogey,” Woods said. “I was like, ‘Oh, man, here we go. I’ve got to somehow turn this thing around.’ And I was able to do that. Fought hard to try and keep that momentum going.”
Women’s Australian Open: In her LPGA debut, Jin Young Ko took a two-stroke lead on a tight leaderboard during the opening round in Adelaide, Australia.
Ko, playing in one of the final afternoon groups at Kooyanga, had only one par on her back nine — the 11th — but she had six birdies and two bogeys on her final nine for a 7-under 65 to move past second-place Jiyai Shin.
Former world No.1 Lydia Ko was among a large group tied for third with 68s, two strokes behind.
Veteran and five-time champion Karrie Webb, who says she’ll play a part-time schedule this year, shot 70. She has only played one tournament since last September, and that was a team event.
Laura Davies and Brooke Henderson each shot 72.
European Tour: Andy Sullivan showed signs of turning around his fortunes by producing a superb back nine to start the Oman Open in Muscat with a 5-under 67.
He birdied six of his last 10 holes but still trailed English compatriots — cancer survivor Matthew Southgate and Paul Waring — by two shots on a day when the winds stayed away from the Greg Norman-designed Al Mouj Golf Club.
Wednesday’s Games Thursday’s Games
Nuggets 134, (at) Bucks 123: Nicola Jokic had 30 points, 15 rebounds and 17 assists for Denver, which won its third straight game. Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 36 points for the Bucks and Eric Bledsoe added 27.
Lakers at Timberwolves: Late
NBA notes
Mavericks: Don Carter, the owner who was instrumental in bringing the NBA to Dallas with the expansion Mavericks in 1980, has died. He was 84.
Grizzlies: Officials called four technical fouls on Memphis in its 121-114 loss to Oklahoma City on Wednesday night.
Kings: De’Aaron Fox needed stitches above his right eye and chin after hitting the floor hard late in Wednesday’s game against the Rockets. There was no immediate word if he would be placed in the concussion protocol.
Pacers: Will play the Pelicans in New Orleans on March 21, a rescheduled game stemming from a Feb. 7 postponement because of a leaky roof.
Saturday’s Games