Tiger escapes woods, manages 1-under 70
Alternate Conners leads Valspar by one at 4-under 67.
Tiger Woods discovered how tough Innisbrook can be in a swirling wind, and he was up to the task.
Woods smacked his hands into an oak as he let loose of the club during a bold escape from the trees, came within inches of an ace on the next hole, and most importantly was among 27 players — just under 20 percent of the field — to break par Thursday in the Valspar Championship at Palm Harbor, Fla.
Canadian rookie Corey Conners, who got into the field as an alternate not long after he failed to get through Monday qualifying, didn’t make a bogey until his final hole at No. 9 and shot a 4-under 67.
That gave him a one-shot lead over Nick Watney, Whee Kim and Kelly Kraft. Only three other players, including former PGA champion Jimmy Walker, broke 70.
Woods made five birdies to counter his mistakes in his round of 70, the first time he broke par in the opening round of a PGA Tour event since his 64 in the Wyndham Championship in August 2015 — just six tour events ago because of back surgeries.
This was his first time playing the Valspar Championship, and it got his attention.
“I enjoy when par is a good score. It’s a reward,” Woods said. “There are some tournaments when about four holes you don’t make a birdie, you feel like you’re behind. Today, made a couple of birdies, all of a sudden puts me fourth, fifth, right away. That’s how hard it is.”
It was like that for everybody, especially Jordan Spieth and Rory McIlroy.
Spieth, who won at Innisbrook in a playoff in 2015, didn’t make a birdie after the par-5 opening hole and shot a 76. Only six other players had a higher score. McIlroy, who like Woods was making his debut in this event, played in the morning and shot 74.
Henrik Stenson, who played with Spieth and Woods, also shot 74.
There was a chill in the Florida air, and the wind made it feel colder. Ultimately, the wind swirling through the tree-lined fairways made it tough to get the ball close.
Innisbrook produced the highest average for the opening round — 72.86 — of the 23 courses used this season.
Conners managed just fine, taking advantage of a tournament he wasn’t sure he would be playing. He went through Monday qualifying and shot 71, but moments after walking off the course, he was told he got in as an alternate.
Watney holed a bunker shot on the par-4 16th, made the turn and had an eagle on the first hole. Walker (69) and past Innisbrook champion Luke Donald (70) managed to go bogey-free. Also at 70 were Justin Rose, Masters champion Sergio Garcia, Adam Scott and Steve Stricker, who won last week on the PGA Tour Champions.
Champions: Fred Couples withdrew from the Toshiba Classic because of back pain Thursday, a day before the start of play in Newport Beach, Calif. Long hampered by back problems, the 58-year-old Couples hasn’t played a tournament since the season opener in January.
Wednesday’s Games Thursday’s Games
Nets at Hornets: Late
76ers at Heat: Late
Celtics at Timberwolves: Late Suns at Thunder: Late
Spurs at Warriors: Late
NBA notes
Timberwolves: Guard Derrick Rose signed for the remainder of the season. The move reunites Rose and coach Tom Thibodeau, who were together in Chicago. Minnesota technically becomes the 2011 NBA MVP’s fourth team in the past 11 months. Rose spent his first eight NBA years in Chicago, five with Thibodeau as his coach. He was with New York last season and started this season with Cleveland but appeared in only 16 games. Cleveland traded Rose to Utah, and the Jazz waived him before he played there.
Pelicans: All-Star forward Antony Davis has a sprained left ankle and is doubtful against the Wizards tonight. Davis hurt his ankle in the third quarter Wednesday in a victory in Sacramento, after which coach Alvin Gentry said X-rays were negative. Davis is averaging 28.1 points and 11.1 rebounds this season. Davis’ production has surged during New Orleans franchise record-tying 10-game winning streak.