A day after an obviously-timed announcement of a major endorsement, Tiger Woods on Thursday returned to the PGA tour at Torrey Pines and fell apart, stumbling to a 4-over 76 in the Farmers Insurance Open.
Hundreds of fans lined up against the railing behind the 18th grandstand to watch Woods walk onto the first tee for his first PGA Tour event in 17 months, reported The Associated Press. Thousands more stood behind every inch of rope from tee-to-green, and they were six-deep in spots around the green. As he made the turn, workers filled three balconies at the Scripps Clinic.
But Woods had to battle to save par, and then he fell apart during a six-hole stretch on the back nine. It wasn't his worst score on the fabled South Course at Torrey Pines in San Diego, though it was his highest score of his career in the first round of a new year.
"I let it slip away in the middle part of the back nine," Woods said. "And unfortunately, didn't hit very good shots."
Woods wound up 11 shots behind Justin Rose , who opened with a 65 on the shorter North Course with the new and smooth greens. Adam Hadwin of Canada, who shot 59 last week in the California desert, had the low score on the South at 66.
It was a rude welcome back to the PGA Tour, and to Torrey Pines, where Woods has won eight times as a pro.
He had not played on the PGA Tour since Aug. 23, 2015, when he tied for 10th in the Wyndham Championship. Two back surgeries followed, and Woods missed all of 2016 until returning at an unofficial event with an 18-man field and no cut in the Bahamas the first week in December.
Along with fighting his swing – he didn't hit a fairway after No. 7 – and coping with thick rough he had not seen since the 2015 PGA Championship, Woods said he had a hard time adjusting to the pace of play from being in threesomes.
"It's just weird to say this, but it was just we were playing so much slower than I'm used to," he said. "It was just weird waiting that much."
On Wednesday, Woods added another equipment endorsement deal by signing with TaylorMade to play everything except the golf ball and the putter.
Woods was open to shop around when Nike decided last year to get out of the hard equipment business. Woods still has a deal with Nike to wear its shoes and apparel.
The multiyear deal with TaylorMade means he will use the company's driver, fairway metals, irons and wedges. He still had his Nike irons and wedges at Torrey Pines on Wednesday. TaylorMade is working on a special iron for him.
Woods previously signed a deal with Bridgestone to use its golf ball.
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