Sport
Decent start for Tiger Woods at British Open
Perhaps it was just a coincidence, but what followed was Woods’ worst putt of the round.
That’s when Woods shifted into neutral. He gave himself reasonable chances, and kept leaving putts short.
“I was just lacking a little bit of pace on the greens coming home,” he said.
One of the best shots he hit all day kept was on the only hole where he failed to make par — and it saved him from a much higher score.
Woods worked out a game plan that looked similar to what he used at Hoylake five years ago when he last won the British Open. He rarely hit driver off the tee in an effort to avoid bunkers, only this was different. Royal Lytham’s bunkers are staggered in the fairway, and they are everywhere. Woods didn’t just stay short of them, he navigated his way expertly through them.
He hit a driver on No. 2 and a 5-wood on No. 10 that started left and over the heads of the spectators, only to curve gently back to the right and into a perfect spot. He appeared to be in complete control off the tee, which is pivotal for any good round at Lytham.
The exception came on the 15th.
