It wasn't a banner day for Tiger Woods on the first day of the Masters. Far from it.
But he did everything he could to salvage things and make the cut on Day 2, chipping in a birdie on Hole 6 at Augusta National that drew some cheers from the crowd and probably a bit of relief from Woods.
Woods finished Thursday tied for 36th at 1-over 73 after 18 holes, eight strokes behind Day 1 leader Bryson DeChambeau.
He didn't play terrible, it's just that some of his shots that could've gone either way fell short.
"Playing in his first PGA Tour event since he withdrew after 24 holes of the Genesis Invitational in mid-February, Woods looked good walking on his surgically repaired right foot and ankle Thursday. He didn't appear nearly as loose or fluid Friday morning, however, with temperatures in the low 50s," wrote Mark Schlabach of ESPN.
"On the 14th hole, Woods hit a good tee shot down the middle of the fairway, leaving him 124 yards to the pin. He didn't flush his approach shot, and his ball settled 22 yards short of the green. Woods stretched his neck and grimaced after the shot. He made a two-putt bogey that moved him back to even par."
That said, nobody seemed to play their best on opening day. Or at least not what many felt would be their best.
"It wasn't easy," Nicolai Højgaard, who sat at 2 back after posting a 5-under 67, told reporters. "The wind was swirling, and there was a lot of wind. Very pleased with how I played actually. And also this morning, it wasn't that easy getting out there that early, and the conditions completely changed with different wind direction."
Meanwhile, this is Woods' first PGA Tour Event since he withdrew from the Genesis Invitational after 24 holes in February.
"Woods looked good walking on his surgically repaired right foot and ankle Thursday," Schlabach wrote. "He didn't appear nearly as loose or fluid Friday morning, however, with temperatures in the low 50s."
