Tiger flashes old form

Chip-in begins 64, Woods’ lowest Tour round in two years.

Tiger Woods kept saying his game was getting better, even though his results didn’t show it.

On his first day at the Wyndham Championship, his score finally did.

Woods had his best round in more than two years Thursday, shooting a 6-under 64.

Two-time heart transplant recipient Erik Compton, William McGirt and Tom Hoge shared the first-round lead at 62.

Morgan Hoffman, Jim Herman and Derek Ernst followed at 63, and Martin Kaymer, Davis Love III and Carl Pettersson joined Woods at 64.

It was Woods’ lowest score on the PGA Tour since a 61 in the second round of the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational in 2013.

He and the others took advantage of a low-scor- ing day at what he called a “tricky” Donald Ross-designed course at Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro, N.C., that gave up bunches of birdies after morning showers softened the fairways and greens.

“When it’s like this,” Woods said, “you’ve got to throw darts and go low.”

And while Compton and McGirt threatened the tournament record, the clear story of the day was Woods.

That low score couldn’t have come at a better time for the biggest name in the sport. He set the tone by holing a 54-foot chip shot on his first hole, the par-4 10th, for the first of his seven birdies.

“Finally,” he said, “I got something out of my round.”

Woods arrived insisting he was playing better than his recent results might indicate. He had missed the cut in three straight majors and had not finished better than a tie for 17th at the Masters. He’s at No. 187 on the FedEx Cup points list and probably needs a win to move into the top 125 and earn a playoff spot.

Hoge, playing in the day’s final grouping, made a late charge up the leaderboard, closing his round with a 5-foot birdie putt on the 18th.

Compton, who started on the back nine, finished with a 29 on the front nine with seven birdies in that span.

“Any time you can break 30 in nine holes, you’re obviously doing something really cool,” Compton said.

It’s the latest positive for a 35-year-old who earned his tour card in 2012 — four years after his second heart transplant.

He’s chasing his first victory, and so is McGirt, who finished in a tie for eighth here last year. At No. 86 on the points list, McGirt is in no danger of missing the playoffs.

Compton — who’s closer to the cutoff at No. 114 — is just trying not to lose any ground.

LPGA Tour: Karine Icher had six birdies in a seven-hole stretch and shot a 7-under 65 to take the first-round lead in the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open.

The 36-year-old Frenchwoman, winless in 253 career LPGA Tour starts, birdied Nos. 2, 5-6 and 8-11 at Vancouver Golf Club, then closed the bogey-free round with seven pars.

Two-time champion Lydia Ko was second after a 67.

Michelle Wie, struggling with a left ankle injury, shot a 74. She’s playing for the first time since withdrawing during the second round of the Women’s British Open after slipping walking off a tee box.

European Tour: David Horsey shot an 8-under 63 to secure a one-shot lead after the first round of the Made in Denmark tournament. Wales’ Oliver Farr had a 64.