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Tiger Woods

Tiger Woods goes on birdie binge to shoot 68 at his tournament

Steve DiMeglio
USA TODAY Sports
Tiger Woods check his ball before putting in the first round of the Quicken Loans National golf tournament at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club.

GAINESVILLE, Va. — For the eighth time in nine starts this year, Tiger Woods began a tournament with a bogey on his first hole as he drove his tee shot among the trees left of the fairway, found a bunker with his second shot and didn’t get up-and-down for par.

Woods then made bogeys on two of his next three holes in Thursday’s first round of the Quicken Loans National and visions of an 80 were materializing considering his season already has been home to three rounds in the 80s.

It sure seemed like it was going to be one of those days again for Woods. But then he became the Woods of old and turned into a highlight reel.

Woods made six birdies in a nine-hole stretch and shot 3-under-par 68.

“I feel great. After that start, it was tough to turn it around, which I did,” Woods said. “I sucked it up and turned it around and posted a good number and, you know, we got the fresh greens tomorrow. Hopefully go out there and post a low one.

“ … I've been playing well, hitting the golf ball well. Feel like my putting has been good. Just stay patient, just stay with it and it will turn if I stay patient, which I did and I mean I had a run there.”

The tournament host, who hasn’t won since 2013 and has fallen to No. 266 in the official world rankings, played 50 holes in three practice rounds here this week and spent a considerable time on the practice range.

He felt all systems were a go when he took to the first tee. And then he smother-hooked his tee shot. Bogey. And then two more. He made his first birdie on the par-5 5th. And then he really got going. Woods reeled off four consecutive birdies beginning on the 10th hole — the first time he’s made four straight since his last win in the 2013 World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational when he shot 61 in the second round. It was part of a birdie barrage where Woods climbed out of the hole he dug himself at the start of the round.

He finished with five pars — failing to convert on three good chances for birdie — and signed for just his sixth round in the 60s in 23 rounds this year.

Woods, whose best score this year is a 4-under-par 66 in the first round of The Greenbrier Classic and his best finish a tie for 17th in the Masters, trails leaders Retief Goosen and Ryo Ishikawa by 5 shots. Both Goosen and Ishikawa were bogey-free and Ishikawa aced the fourth hole from 180 yards using an 8-iron.

“I felt comfortable hitting it either way,” Woods said of his driver. “Same thing with my irons. I had a lot of speed today, which was nice. I hit it a lot better today.”

After missing the cut in the British Open, Woods talked about checking his numbers and the spin rate of his golf ball after impact. He did so leading into the tournament and found nothing major was wrong.

“We worked on a little bit of my through swing, fixed a couple things I felt like were off and put it to good use the last six days,” Woods said. “I really felt comfortable here. I'm hitting shots. I've played three practice rounds out here, which I normally don't do. It was important for me to get out here and play because everything in West Palm (Beach, Fla.) is closed. Everything is being torn up. It was nice to come here and play.”

PHOTOS: Best from the Quicken Loans National 

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