{"id":59007,"date":"2018-02-16T08:01:07","date_gmt":"2018-02-16T08:01:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.biphoo.com\/bipnews\/?p=59007"},"modified":"2018-02-16T08:01:07","modified_gmt":"2018-02-16T08:01:07","slug":"golf-inconsistent-woods-six-behind-first-round-leaders-at-riviera","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.biphoo.com\/bipnews\/sports\/golf-inconsistent-woods-six-behind-first-round-leaders-at-riviera.html","title":{"rendered":"Golf: Inconsistent Woods six behind first-round leaders at Riviera"},"content":{"rendered":"

Golf: Inconsistent Woods six behind first-round leaders at Riviera<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

Tiger Woods \u201cfought hard\u201d in an inconsistent performance to trail first round leaders Tony Finau and Patrick Cantlay by six strokes at the Genesis Open on Thursday.<\/span><\/p>\n

Woods, in his second start of the PGA Tour season after a year-long absence during which he had a spinal fusion, shot a one-over-par 72 in a roller-coaster round at Riviera in the affluent Los Angeles neighborhood of Pacific Palisades.<\/span><\/p>\n

The 14-times major champion, playing in a high-profile group with four-times major winner Rory McIlroy (71) and reigning Player of the Year Justin Thomas (69), was forced to lean heavily on his short game given his erratic long game.<\/span><\/p>\n

Defending champion and world number one Dustin Johnson battled to a 74 after an early triple bogey.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMan, I fought hard, made a few mistakes, simple, silly mistakes, bad shots here and there … but one-over\u2019s not bad,\u201d Woods told Golf Channel.<\/span><\/p>\n

Woods struggled at times with a new driver that has a stiffer shaft than his previous version. He took comfort, however, that most of his wayward drives headed in the same direction, to the right.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe shaft is one I can go ahead and let it go,\u201d he said, explaining that he held back on a couple of drives.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201dOn a couple of tee shots I tried to hit little smoothies out there. The shaft is a little more stout so I can go ahead and hit it and when I did I piped it.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe more I get used to it the more aggressive I can be. I can take out one side of the golf course, which is nice.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Woods made an ideal start with a birdie at his opening hole, the short par-four 10th, but quickly double-bogeyed the next after his drive clattered into a gum tree and disappeared, evidently stuck up in the branches.<\/span><\/p>\n

Declaring a lost ball, he had to play again from the tee.<\/span><\/p>\n

He finished the day having hit eight of 14 fairways, seven of 18 greens in regulation and needing 25 putts.<\/span><\/p>\n

Woods will probably need to shoot another round of 72 on Friday to be sure of making the halfway cut.<\/span><\/p>\n

He tied for 23rd three weeks ago at Torrey Pines in his first start of the year.<\/span><\/p>\n

Leaders Finau and Cantlay posted five-under 66 on a day when a few players did not finish the round due to darkness.<\/span><\/p>\n

Source:-\u00a0https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/article\/us-golf-genesis\/golf-inconsistent-woods-six-behind-first-round-leaders-at-riviera-idUSKCN1FZ2QY<\/span><\/p>\n

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