Tiger Woods Impresses In Level Par Opening Round At Farmers
The 14-time major winner made three birdies and three bogeys on day one of the Farmers Insurance Open
Tiger Woods Impresses In Level Par Opening Round At Farmers
Flashback a year, and Tiger Woods was making his first start of 2017 at the Farmers Insurance Open.
On that day, playing with Jason Day and Dustin Johnson, Woods was outclassed as he struggled to a 76.
Fast forward a year, and the 14-time major winner was back at Torrey Pines, but this time playing some high-quality golf.
Woods opened the Farmers Insurance Open with a level-par round of 72 on Torrey Pines' South Course, and despite three bogeys, he had more than his fair share of highlights.
The 42-year-old, making his first start in a full-field PGA Tour event in a year, made a bogey five down the first after pulling his drive and failing to get up-and-down from the front-right bunker.
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Woods could have been +2 after two but saved par with a tricky up-and-down from thick rough just off the green.
He dropped his second shot of the day at the fourth to fall to +2 but came straight back with a vintage Tiger birdie at the par-5 fifth.
Woods struck a beautiful 4 iron into the par-5, walking after it and twirling the club.
He then began walking in his eagle putt which pulled up agonisingly short.
Woods made three more pars to turn in +1, hitting 5/7 fairways, 4/9 greens and taking 15 putts on the front nine.
He then opened up the back nine with a kick-in birdie at the 10th, almost holing his approach in doing so, to get back to level.
Woods almost eagles the 10th, taps in for birdie:
His third bogey of the day came at the par-5 13th after a short missed putt. He missed the green here with a wedge, one of his poorer shots of the round.
He then went par-par before stunning the crowds at the par-3 16th, coming so close to making his first ace since 1998.
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Playing directly into the sun, the 14-time major winner hit a 6-iron which landed just short and trickled right towards the hole...it stopped 8 inches away.
He tapped that in to get back to level for the day.
He would close with two pars to sign for a level-par round of 72 in his first round of 2018.
A very solid showing.
Related: Rory McIlroy "ahead of schedule" after flawless 65 in Dubai
Americans Ted Potter Jr, Tony Finau and Ryan Palmer lead after a six-under-par 66s.
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Elliott Heath is our News Editor and has been with Golf Monthly since early 2016 after graduating with a degree in Sports Journalism. He covered the 2022 and 2025 Masters from Augusta National and was there by the 18th green to watch Rory McIlroy complete the career grand slam. He has also covered five Open Championships on-site including the 150th at St Andrews.