Tiger Woods’ highly anticipated season-opener is in the books, and after touring Torrey Pines’ North Course in 3-under 69 during Thursday’s opening round of the Farmers Insurance Open, even Woods seemed pleased with how smoothly he’d come back from a five-week break over the holiday season.
Woods had five birdies and two bogeys – nothing miraculous and nothing disastrous – and seemed to be in control of a new TaylorMade SIM driver he recently put in the bag.
Woods has teed it up at Torrey Pines plenty and found success here eight times (seven Farmers Insurance Open titles plus the 2008 U.S. Open). Still, an opening 69 amounted to just the eighth time he has broken 70 in first round of the Farmers Insurance Open. Now it’s on to the South Course
Woods is No. 6 in the Official World Golf Ranking entering the week, and paired alongside Jon Rahm and Collin Morikawa, two young stars, for the first two rounds.
Follow along below for shot-by-shot analysis of Woods’ second round.
Hole 18 – Par 5
Big, solid drive at the closing hole is exactly what Tiger needed. His second shot goes just over the back of the green, but he chips it close. That closing birdie was needed, and Tiger rolled it in confidently.
TIGER ON THE DAY: 1-under 71
TIGER FOR THE TOURNAMENT: 4 under
Hole 17 – Par 4
Tiger yanked that one left and looks to be in the penalty area. Sure enough, it’s in the penalty area. Tiger takes a penalty stroke and drops it, then dumps it in rough by the green. After chipping up to about 5 feet, Tiger holes a par putt.
TIGER ON THE DAY: Even thru 17
Hole 16 – Par 3
Tiger hits a 3-iron to the middle of the green. A safe play and a smart leave. Tough putt up the hill and Tiger misses to the left. He makes the par putt.
TIGER ON THE DAY: 1 under thru 16
Hole 15 – Par 4
Nothing wrong with that drive. The approach, however, needed a little more juice. Tiger is perched on the front tier of the green, but the hole is on the back tier. Putter hasn’t inspired a lot of confidence today, but that was a good run. It comes up short and Tiger taps in for another easy par.
TIGER ON THE DAY: 1 under thru 15
Hole 14 – Par 4
Tiger left the driver in the bag here, choosing 3-wood instead, and puts it safely in the middle of the fairway. He baaaarely holds the back of the green from there. Birdie look coming. What a strange break on that putt. It shoots left, leaving Woods with a couple feet for par. He makes that and moves on.
TIGER ON THE DAY: 1 under thru 14
Hole 13 – Par 5
That drive goes left, but it lands in the first cut and should be playable. He goes with the laser-like layup to a dip in front of the green. Facing a steep hill and a little over 100 yards to the green, Tiger leaves it to the right and in deep rough. Tricky downhill chip from there but Tiger nestles it inside a foot to save par. An opportunity missed, but that certainly could have ended worse.
TIGER ON THE DAY: 1 under thru 13
Hole 12 – Par 4
Tiger has lost another drive to the right, and this one had the bad fortune or rolling just into a fairway bunker. His stance won’t be pretty here. Tiger used a 3-iron to get out, and even though he sent it way long, it was still a remarkable shot considering the awkwardness of the setup. He chips it to inside 10 feet but he didn’t play nearly enough break. His putt took off to the right and he has to tap in for bogey.
Hole 11 – Par 3
Insert cringe emoji, Tiger loses that shot right at the 215-yard par 3. He is in the bunker, which makes four birdies in a row look unlikely. Easy little sand shot, but still about 15 feet left. Tiger jars it for par.
TIGER ON THE DAY: 2 under thru 11
Hole 10 – Par 4
Solid tee shot gives Tiger the green light to fire at the pin. He plays his approach shot off a slope and it funnels right down near the hole. Make that another birdie, and yes that’s three in a row.
TIGER ON THE DAY: 2 under thru 10
Hole 9 – Par 5
He certainly went after that driver and his ball rolled into the first cut on the right. Is he…is he going for it? Fairway wood in hand, but with 280 yards to the green, he comes up short. That pitch leaves a little to be desired, but Tiger made up for it with a smooth roll for birdie. It’s official, Tiger is turning in the red.
TIGER ON THE DAY: 1 under thru 9
TIGER ON THE TOURNAMENT: 4 under
Hole 8 – Par 3
Tiger’s 7-iron from the eighth tee easily goes down as his best shot of the day so far. He’s looking at roughly 8 feet for birdie. It goes down, and the four-putt at the first is effectively erased.
TIGER ON THE DAY: Even thru 8
Hole 7 – Par 4
Big drive down the right side of the fairway. Clearly too much club on the approach, however, and Tiger will have to manufacture something from the left side of the green to try to save par. His chip goes long (but hey, he had the foresight to watch the roll-out for the break), but facing just more than six feet for par, Tiger drains it.
