Hero World Challenge: Woods struggles to five over par on return

American golfer stands last after first round, Spieth in the lead

ORLANDO: Tiger Woods made a woeful start to his latest injury comeback on Thursday, firing a five-over par 77 to stand last after round one of the 18-player Hero World Challenge.

The former world number one ended a four-month competitive layoff with four bogeys, one birdie and a double bogey at Isleworth, a 7,354-yard layout where Woods once fired a 59 in a practice round with Mark O'Meara.

Woods, who had not played in an event since the PGA Championship in August while recovering from a back injury, was five-over after eight holes and played the inward nine at par but showed he still has plenty of work remaining to recapture the form that brought him 14 major titles, four shy of Jack Nicklaus' all-time record.

"It was just one of those days where nothing goes your way," said Woods.

Woods, who turns 39 on December 30, has not won a major title since the 2008 US Open. He must become the first player to win four majors beyond his 39th birthday to match Nicklaus.

Woods stood 11 strokes behind 21-year-old leader Jordan Spieth, who opened with a 66 after winning the Australian Open last week. He sank a 20-foot par putt at 18 to stay one in front of fellow Americans Rickie Fowler, Steve Stricker and Zach Johnson and Sweden's Henrik Stenson.

"It would have been tough to finish with bogey," said Spieth, who won a college event at Isleworth. "It was nice to close that one out."

 

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