MEMORONEC, NY – Tiger Woods’ first round at the US Open was a microcosm of his golf status as he returned after a three-month shutdown due to a coronavirus – he had a few rough moments, a few good moments and plenty of inconsistency moments.
The bogeys were stretched. Back-to-back-back-birdie run. A messy double on the final hole of the day. Continuous feeding of missed fairways.
In the end, the scorecard added 3 overs to 73.
It took a lot to get that number. Here’s how his first round on Winged Foot came to be:
No. 1: Par-4: 451 yards
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Tiger Woods hit his first U.S. Open on the winged ground, finding the greenery and turning two putts for equal. It would be nice to have it repeated 71 more times.
Score: Par
Total for the day: Also
No. 2: Par-4, 484 yards
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Welcome to the US Open at Winged Foot. Tiger Woods had to cross at No. 2, while a bad shot in the fairway bunker left Thomas and Moricava 40 yards behind. Greenside approach laid in a trap, but goes up and down. Pars takes work here.
Score: Par
Total for the day: Also
No. 3: Par-3, 243 yards
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It’s not that he wants to make this a habit, but that Tiger Woods is saving another sand. It goes up and down the third place in the landing par. All three players missed Green – use it, it’s a 240-yard par 3 – and both Woods and Morikawa were able to convert, while Thomas couldn’t.
Score: Par
Total for the day: Also
No. 4: Par-4, 467 yards
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It’s never good when you hit the putt, then you need to go back and get the iron. The same thing happened with Tiger Woods in fourth place. Only 20 feet from the front edge, its stretch over an opera and greenery back through the hole. Its comeback chip scooter is 6 feet by. He turned it around, but it was just too many attempts to make a boogie.
Score: Boogie
Total for the day: 1 over
No. 5: Par-4, 502 yards
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Then another missed fairway leads to a terrifying one-foot-in-a-foot-out-the-bunker shot for Tiger Woods. Another bogie. It has been an initial struggle on the hard way in mild conditions.
Score: Boogie
Total for the day: 2 overs
No. 6: Par-4, 321 yards
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Maybe strategy is t iron off? Tiger Woods finds his second fair by placing heavy wood on the sixth. He put a wedge in the tucked-right pin for the first birdie of the championship and turned it into a 5-footer.
Score: Birdie
Total for the day: 1 over
No. 7: Par-3, 162 yards
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Tiger Woods with a par-3 seventh stable approach. Can’t convert birdie, but it’s back-to-back stress-free holes. How much of the first five he needed to take some time off from work.
Score: Par
Total for the day: 1 over
No. 8: Par-4, 490 yards
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The tiger goes back to the driver at No. 8, which means towards the rough. The difference between a fairway and a rough – even if it missed just a few feet – is serious on the winged foot. And it comes with another bogie missing Tini’s little one.
Score: Boogie
Total for the day: 2 overs
No. 9: Par-5, 565 yards
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A lone par 5 wide drive ahead and another missed fairway robbed Tiger Woods of the opportunity to go green in two. Which fell down – but he went back to the position of having a long birdie putt. He goes out in 1 over 36. It took a lot of work.
Score: Birdie
Total for the day: 1 over
No. 10: Par-3, 214 yards
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Putter is getting a little hot for Tiger. After rolling one for Birdie to close the front nine, he drains another at 10 a.m. to move himself back to the right. There are two big birdies.
Score: Birdie
Total for the day: Also
No. 11: Par-4, 384 yards
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Look … Tiger Woods is on. After his bogey in the 8th, he has been rocked by three birdies in a row and will get under 1 for the US Open. Given how many struggles in the beginning, the turn has been a bit surprising. He’s not the only one keeping him going in the group. Justin Thomas has also posted three straight birdies.
Score: Birdie
Total for the day: Under 1
No. 12: Par-5, 633 yards
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Golf is cruel. Tiger Woods made an 8-footer for the fourth consecutive birdie at 12 o’clock, then he started walking … but then he curled out.
Score: Par
Total for the day: Under 1
No. 13: Par-3, 212 yards
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Tiger Woods with a mistake from the team on the long par-3 13th hole. The green color is missed and cannot be scratched at this time. The hefty run is stopped with a bogey to move it back to the right.
Score: Boogie
Total for the day: Also
No. 14: Par-4, 452 yards
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How bad is the rough in winged legs? Tiger Woods missed the fair at 14 – heard earlier today? – but he had only 160 yards for greenery. He couldn’t get it there. Knocked him out, but he was able to move about 130 yards. His best pitch doesn’t leave him with a 12-foot equalizer. Do not create. All those good vibrations are gone straight from the three birdies.
Score: Boogie
Total for the day: 1 over
No. 15: Par-4, 426 yards
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How bad is the rough in winged legs? Tiger Woods missed Fairway on the 14th – heard before today? – but he had only 160 yards of green. He couldn’t get it there. Knocked him out, but he was able to move about 130 yards. His best pitch doesn’t leave him with a 12-foot equalizer. Do not create. All those good vibrations are gone straight from the three birdies.
Score: Par
Total for the day: 1 over
No. 16: Par-4, 498 yards
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The 16th hole is not a birdie hole. He’s a 498-yard monster. Of course, Tiger Woods turns into a 20-footer for just a third birdie that day. No matter what happens on the last two holes, he will sign the scorecard with lots of circles (birdies), squares (bo bo giz) and pars.
Score: Birdie
Total for the day: Also
No. 17: Par-4, 504 yards
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Round of hills and valleys continues for Tiger Woods. Stealing at 16 with a birdie, he returns with a boogie at 17. When he walks towards the last tee, here’s what he’s done: five birdies, six bogies, six pars.
Score: Boogie
Total for the day: 1 over
No. 18: Par-4, 469 yards
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What a fantastic round for Tiger Woods. He lost the fairway, found many bunkers, rolled into some long belts, a chip on the final hole. He scored six bogeys, six parcels, five birdies and a double card. It is one of the most complex ways to shoot a 3-over 73.
Score: Double-bogie
Total for the day: 3 overs 73
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