The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Tiger’s big in Japan as brilliant fightback sees him claim share of lead.
Veteran shares lead in inaugural event but it’s a poor opening from McIlroy
Tiger Woods produced a brilliant fightback to claim a share of the lead after the first round of the inaugural Zozo Championship in Japan.
Woods was three over par after three holes at Narashino Country Club, but played the remaining 15 holes in nine under par to card an opening 64, which was matched by US Open champion Gary Woodland.
HomefavouriteHidekiMatsuyamaisa shot off the lead following a 65, but world number two Rory McIlroy is eight strokes off the pace after struggling to a 72.
Woods began his round on the back nine and got off to a nightmare start as he pulled his drive on the 10th into the water to make the first of three consecutive bogeys.
The 15-time major winner steadied the ship with a par on the 13th before posting a hat-trick of birdies from the 14th and picked up another shot on the 18th to reach the turn in one under.
Woods made his second hat-trick of birdies from the third and further birdies on the seventh and ninth completed an inward nine of 29 to boost his chances of claiming the 82nd PGA Tour title of his career, equalling the record of Sam Snead.
“I was just trying to turn it to even par at the turn, that’s basically my goal, and I was able to squeeze one more out of it and lo and behold I had the easier side
I’m going to and hopefully I can squeeze a couple more out of it and I did a couple more better than that, which was nice,” Woods told the Golf Channel.
“It’s always nice to get off to a quick start and then figure it out from there, but that start I got off to wasn’t very good.
“After the start the ball-striking was better, the putting was really good.
“It was one of the stranger rounds I’ve experienced in a while. It seems like every putt I made, other than the one at seven, was left to right. It was crazy.”
England’s Paul Casey leads the European challenge on one under par, with Sergio Garcia a shot further back and Open champion Shane Lowry, Tommy Fleetwood and Ian Poulter all shooting one over.
McIlroy was one under par after 10 holes but bogeyed the 11th, doublebogeyed the next and dropped another shot on the 16th before ending the day with a birdie on the 18th.
Fellow Northern Irishman Graeme McDowell props up the 78-man field after slumping to an 11-over-par 81 which included a back nine of 45.
● Bio Kim’s three-year suspension from the Korean Tour for making an obscene gesture towards spectators has been reduced to a year, according to the Korean newspaper The Chosun Ilbo.
Kim’s ban was cut by the disciplinary committee of the Korean Professional Golfers’ Association, but he must perform 120 hours of community service and a previous fine of 10 million won (£6,750) remains in place.
The 29-year-old South Korean won the Daegu-Gyeongbuk Open in his home country last month, but was disciplined after raising his middle finger towards the crowd after being distracted by a spectator’s phone camera while teeing off on the 16th in the final round.