Windmere, Fla. • Tiger Woods returned to golf without pain or worry Thursday, a feeling he hasn't had on a course in a long time.
As for his short game?
He hadn't seen anything like it in longer than he can remember, and it was shocking.
Woods flubbed four chips, had only four birdie chances inside 20 feet and stumbled to a 5-over 77 in the opening round of the Hero World Challenge. He was in last place among the 18 players.
It was his second return this year from an ailing back. He missed the cut at Congressional in his first start after back surgery. This time, Woods is coming back from injury and working with a new coach. The score was not a surprise. It was the 10th time in 12 rounds that he failed to break par since his first return in June.
Even so, some of the shots were astounding. Woods' opening drive set the tone for the day — and his return.
Woods was about to hit his first shot in nearly four months when he heard a loud click of a camera and backed off.
Then, he tugged his 3-wood through the fairway, beyond an iron fence into someone's backyard.
Woods had to hit another from the tee and did well to escape with a bogey. His lone birdie came on No. 12 when he spun a wedge back to tap-in range.
On the par-5 17th, he hit his second shot just left of the green, pin-high in a deep collection area. Woods no sooner hit his chip that he angrily swung back-handed toward his divot. The ball didn't come close to reaching the green.
He compensated on the next shot and sent it well past the hole, and he had to make a 10-footer just to escape with par.
The other two holes where he muffed chips cost him a double bogey at No. 8 and a bogey at the par-5 13th. Two shots out of the bunker on the par-5 seventh led to bogey. "It is surprising that I could hit chips that poorly," he said.
The 77 was his second-highest score of the year. He had a 79 on the South Course at Torrey Pines in January. What kept the day from being a total loss is that Woods reported feeling "zero pain."