Woods shoots 68 in return from injury

AKRON, Ohio – Tiger Woods appeared to face a big test Thursday in his return to golf.

It was a 3-wood around the trees on the 658-yard 16th hole at Firestone that required him to go at it hard, cut short his back swing to produce the sharp fade, then let the momentum of his motion carry his body forward with an awkward step.

Only it didn’t feel like that big of a deal to Woods.

“I was just trying to hit a cut,” he said. “I didn’t feel any problem with that.”

His only concern in the Bridgestone Invitational was that he hit the ball too flush and too far. He still managed three birdies, including a 30-foot putt on the 16th hole, that carried him to a 2-under-par 68 and sent a strong statement that his leg was as healthy as he thought.

His game wasn’t half bad, either.

“It feels great,” Woods said. “As anybody who’s been off and who’s been injured, first time back it’s a little nervous to see what happens. But my practice sessions were good, so there’s no reason why I should be worried out there. I went out there and let it go, let it rip and see what happens.”

Woods injured a knee ligament and his Achilles tendon in the Masters, and then said he returned too early at The Players Championship.

His ex-caddie saw some familiar golf at Firestone.

Steve Williams, now working permanently for Adam Scott after Woods fired him a month ago, watched the Australian play flawlessly in matching his career-low round on the PGA Tour with a 62 that gave Scott a one-shot lead over Jason Day.

Williams was on the bag for all seven of Woods’ wins at Firestone, including his 11-shot win in 2000 when Woods had a 61 in the second round and set the tournament record at 259.

“He didn’t think it was a big deal to shoot 62,” Scott said with a grin. “It was normal.”

Despite all the interest about Woods’ return, there was nothing special about his score. The conditions were so soft and calm that 39 players in the 78-man field broke par, a record number for any round in the 12 years this World Golf Championship has been played on Firestone South.

The scoring average was 69.63, the lowest since the opening round in 2001. Scott, who birdied four of his last six holes, had the lowest opening round ever at Firestone.

Day, who tied for second with Scott at the Masters, shot a 63 in the morning. Nick Watney, a World Golf Championship winner at Doral this year, bogeyed the last hole and still had a 65.