Rusty Woods Turns Birdie Machine; Takes Lead In Japan

Tiger Woods could do nothing right for the first three holes and then could little wrong for the next 15 as he carded six-under 64 in the first round of the inaugural $9.75-million Zozo Championship.

- V Krishnaswamy

He had three bogeys on 1-2-3 and then nine birdies in the next 15 holes.

It was his lowest round to open a season in his long and illustrious career, which now stands one win short of the Sam Snead’s record 82 PGA Tour wins.

If Woods’ round was a thrill-a-minute, Gary Woodland went about his job quietly, almost unnoticed at times. Four-under through the front nine he added two more on back nine, including and 18thand was one of the only two bogey-free players on the day. Ryo Ishikawa (68) was the other, even though Hideki Matsuyama (67) was the best Japanese on the day at Tied-third.

Woods’ first competitive round, as opposed to the Skins game he played three days ago, was as adventurous as it was dramatic. He opened with a tee shot on 10th, his first of the day, into the water for a bogey and found a tree with his tee shot on ninth, his closing hole of the day.

The opening was rough with a penalty for finding water; missed fairways, going into the rough and then adding to all that was a three-putt. That saw him three-over for three before order was restored. A par on 13th, his fourth hole provided some breathing space.

Then he took off with birdies from all distances, tap-ins to 10-footers to 20-footers and even a 30-footer.