It was always going to be an uphill battle for the five-time Masters champ in Augusta this weekend.
Tiger Woods shot an up-and-down 74 in the first round on Thursday, his fifth round of competitive golf this year.
The Masters is the 47-year-old's second tournament this year after participating in the Genesis Invitational at Riviera in late February. He just barely made the cut and finished T-45 that weekend.
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Woods bogeyed three of his first seven holes but birdied eight to get to +2 – he managed even golf for the remainder of the round.
After bogeying 11 to begin Amen Corner, Woods birdied both 15 and 16, the first of which came on 30-foot putt on the par-five. But after hitting back-to-back bunkers on 18, he had to settle for a bogey to finish his round.
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Woods was paired with Viktor Hovland and Xander Schauffele. The former shot a seven-under 65 to be the leader in the clubhouse by the time their round finished. Schauffele shot a 69.
Woods' odds of winning a sixth green jacket, which would tie Jack Nicklaus' record, now seem like a huge outside chance – which already was the case – but he is still playing for some history that now may be in jeopardy.
Woods has advanced to Saturday in 22 consecutive Masters he has played, and has not missed the cut since 1996. If he makes the cut on Friday, he will tie the record for most consecutive cuts made at the tournament, joining Gary Player and Fred Couples.
He finished in 47th last year after having not played in 2021 – he finished T-38th in 2020 after winning in 2019.
