Woods makes tidy start
Tiger Woods, who could not quite make up a 15-shot deficit in the US PGA championship last week, was quickly on the leaderboard at the NEC world championship in Akron today.
But that was not difficult – Woods was the first player to tee off in the 72-man event and at the 180-yard 12th, his third, he hit the flag with his tee shot and made a nine-foot putt.
At one under par he was one under early pacesetter Woody Austin, who was the first player to start on the front nine and birdied the first and fourth.
Woods, who eventually finished fourth two strokes behind Phil Mickelson on Monday, freely admitted that he had no clue who one of his playing partners was this morning.
Zimbabwean Marc Cayeux had qualified by winning the South African tour championship, but has never played in a major or in any of the World Golf Championship series. The world number one, in total contrast, has won 10 majors and nine WGC titles.
Cayeux said of being paired with the current Masters and Open champion: “It’s like the biggest honour and the most scariest thing at the same time.”
He pulled his opening drive into the rough, but his recovery almost struck the flag and he parred. However, he went long at the next and after four holes remained one over.
At the 471-yard 13th Woods unleashed an incredible drive of 366 yards - downwind admittedly – but had to be content with a four.
England’s Ian Poulter bogeyed the first two holes and both Paul Casey and Darren Clarke bogeyed the first, but Colin Montgomerie, paired with Mickelson, salvaged a par on the 10th after pushing his drive into sand.
Mickelson also parred despite being in the left-hand rough off the tee.
Montgomerie’s fellow Scot Stephen Gallacher two-putted the long second, but bogeyed the next to be level par as well.
