NASSAU, Bahamas – It didn’t count on the scorecard, but for Tiger Woods, it’s a start.
Woods was upbeat after completing his pro-am round at the Hero World Challenge, an effort that came amid gusty winds on an otherwise picturesque morning.
“I felt good with pretty much everything,” Woods said. “I was able to hit all the shots I needed to hit. The wind was definitely pumping today, and it was good to see it in this direction. The time since I’ve been here on Saturday it’s been blowing out of the other direction, so it was good to see.”
There was no standard bearer present to alert the handful of fans at Albany Golf Club of Woods’ score throughout the round, but he did author a pair of highlights with eagles on the 572-yard third hole and the 603-yard ninth.
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Woods converted several up-and-down opportunities throughout the round, including a 15-foot par save on the final hole to finish with an unofficial score of 2-under 70. His new TaylorMade woods largely cooperated, save for a shot into a fairway bunker on the par-5 11th and a tee ball into a sandy waste area on No. 18.
It was an overall result that pleased him, but Woods plans to focus on the greens before his first competitive round in 15 months.
“My speed’s off,” Woods said. “I did some work two and three days ago, but they were double cut and now they’re single cut, different speed. … So I need a little bit of work this afternoon.”
With the pleasantries out of the way, Woods can now focus on his much-anticipated return to competition. He’ll get things underway at noon ET alongside Patrick Reed, and it’s an opportunity he appears to relish.
“I’ll be focused,” he said. “I’ll be ready.”
