Tiger Woods made his return to the PGA Tour with a bang at the Genesis Invitational on Thursday, as he stormed back with three straight birdies on the back nine to card a solid two-under-par 69 at Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades, California.
Woods, who underwent his fifth back surgery in December, was playing his first round in over two months, but he showed no signs of rust as he displayed his trademark precision with the irons and an impressive touch on the greens.
"I thought it was a great round," said Woods, who finished six shots off the lead. "I had a couple loose shots here and there, but I was able to recover every time and stay in the round."
The 45-year-old, who has won the tournament seven times in his career, got off to a slow start on Thursday, as he missed a short par putt on the first hole and found himself one over par through four.
However, he steadied the ship with a string of pars and then ignited his round with a birdie on the par-five 11th, where he nearly holed his approach shot and tapped in from close range.
Woods followed that up with two more birdies on the 12th and 13th holes, as he drained putts from 11 and 15 feet, respectively, to get to two under par for the day.
He gave a shot back on the par-three 14th, where he three-putted from 40 feet, but he bounced back with a clutch par save on the difficult 15th hole, where he got up and down from a greenside bunker.
Woods then finished his round with three straight pars, but he had a chance to get to three under on the 18th, where he hit a superb approach shot from 195 yards to within eight feet of the hole. However, he missed the birdie putt and settled for a 69.
Despite missing out on a chance to finish under par, Woods was pleased with his performance and optimistic about his chances going forward.
"I'm just going to try and get a little bit better every day," he said. "I know it's going to be a process, but I'm excited to be back out here and competing again."
Woods' return to the tour was eagerly anticipated by fans and fellow players alike, as he is widely regarded as one of the greatest golfers of all time and a huge draw for the sport.
The 15-time major champion has endured a number of setbacks in recent years, including a string of injuries and personal issues, but he has remained determined to compete at the highest level.
His performance on Thursday was a testament to his resilience and his enduring talent, and it was a welcome sight for golf fans everywhere.
The Genesis Invitational is a special event for Woods, as it benefits his TGR Foundation, which aims to empower students to pursue their passions through education.
Woods has been a fixture at the tournament for many years, and he has a strong connection to the Riviera course, where he first played as a 16-year-old amateur in 1992.
The course has always posed a challenge for Woods, but he has risen to the occasion more often than not, winning seven times in 13 starts and finishing in the top 10 on five other occasions.
This year's field is stacked with talent, including defending champion Adam Scott, world number one Dustin Johnson, and three-time major winner Jordan Spieth.
But with his impressive opening round, Woods has shown that he is still a force to be reckoned with, and he will be looking to add another title to his already illustrious resume.
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