Tiger Woods a “bit rusty” following opening 72 at Torrey Pines

Tiger Woods admitted he was probably “a little bit rusty” as he finished with a level-par 72 after his first round at the Farmers insurance Open. 

The 14 time major champion returned for his first start in 2018 on the South Course at Torrey Pines and is currently in a share of 84th spot, seven shots behind leader Tony Finau.

It was a round that included both moments of brilliance and rust, culminating in a respectable return to a venue where he’s had so much success over his career. 

Woods sent his first tee shot way off-line and went on to drop a shot at his opening hole of the day. Three pars followed before he found a fairway bunker on the 5th which led to his second bogey, only to recover with his first birdie of the day at the next.

Another tap-in birdie on the 10th took Woods back to level-par, but a few errant shots over the next few holes eventually led to a sloppy bogey on the par-five 13th due to a short-wedge shot that he put in the greenside bunker. However, that was the end of his bogey run, fighting to salvage an even-par 72 that was highlighted with a near hole-out on the par-3 16th hole with a six-iron. 

“I was probably a little bit rusty,” he said. “I just didn’t hit my irons very well today, didn’t hit anything else. I didn’t give myself a lot of looks out there and consequently I didn’t make a lot of birdies. I didn’t play the par 5s as well either, I believe I played them only even par.”

“So tomorrow hopefully I can drive it a little bit better, hit my irons obviously a lot closer and we’re going to the better side for greens and hopefully I can make a few.”

Finau leads as Rahm targets World No.1 spot

Meanwhile, Tony Finau got off to a quick start with five birdies and a solitary bogey on the first eight holes of the Torrey Pines North Course. 

Two more birdies came on the 10th and 13th holes before missing the green short on the 15th which cost him his second bogey of the day, but he finished with two more gains on the 16th and 18th holes to end his first round one shot clear of Ted Potter Jr and Ryan Palmer. 

Elsewhere, defending champion and last week’s winner Jon Rahm had a day of mixed fortunes on the greens but posted a four-under 68 which included three birdies in a four hole stretch between the 13th and 16th holes. With a win this week, there is a possibility he could overtake Dustin Johnson as World No.1