LDN - Sports

Woods opens with 66 at WGC-Bridgestone Invitational

[August 03, 2018] Tiger Woods was on familiar turf and at a place where he has enjoyed plenty of success.

And his first-round score on Thursday reflected that.

Woods fired a 4-under-par 66 in his opening round of the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational at Firestone Country Club in Akron, Ohio, to position himself well toward making a run in the tournament. He is four strokes behind first-round leader Ian Poulter of England.

Woods started on the back nine and he had five birdies during the round, highlighted by sinking a 50-foot putt on the par-4, 18th hole. He was close to a bogey-free round but missed a par putt on nine to conclude his day.

"I kind of fought out a score today, which was good," Woods said in an interview with the Golf Channel. "I didn't really have it today with my ball striking but I just hung in there and missed the ball in the proper spots all day and I made a couple putts."

This tourney happens to mark the last time Woods won a PGA event -- back in August 2013 -- and there is no denying the comfort he feels while stalking the fairways and greens. Woods has won the event eight times in his career with the first victory coming in 1999.

"This has been something special for me to play here over the years," Woods said. "I've been here for (over) 20 years. I've thoroughly enjoyed it. It's such a small-town feel here. We don't get a chance to experience that very often."

Woods birdied his second hole of the day -- the par-4, 11th -- and avoided mistakes in the early stages. He scored another birdie putt on the par-15, 16th hole before making his next on 18.

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Woods was facing a slightly uphill incline on 18 but he slid the ball up the green and nailed the long putt to stand at 3-under after his first nine holes.

He later made two birdies on par-3 holes -- Nos. 5 and 7 -- before struggling on his final hole of the day. His tee shot on No. 9 was off to the right, and he eventually missed a makeable par putt to squander the chance to notch a 5-under round.

Woods saw the missed putt on his final hole as the rarity when compared to the rest of his round.

"I putted well today, I really did. I hit a lot of good putts," Woods said. "Trying to get my mind wrapped around that putts are going to roll out after having not played since The Open (two weeks ago). I tried to hit a lot of downhill putts yesterday so I could get a feel for balls rolling out. ... Overall I thought I putted well today."

Woods hit six of 12 fairways and 10 of 15 greens in the strong opening round.

Poulter holds a one-shot edge on Kyle Stanley and Rickie Fowler.

--Field Level Media

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