Fuente: © TigerWoods.com
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Tiger Woods Opens 70th Masters Wtih 72 at Augusta National Golf Club

/noticias.info/ By Mark Soltau

AUGUSTA, Ga. – Fast starts have never been his strong suit at Augusta National Golf Club, but they haven’t prevented Tiger Woods from winning four green jackets. He’s never broken 70 in the first round and failed again Thursday. Woods shot an even-par 72, five strokes behind pacesetter Vijay Singh.

“I think I should have been under par,” said Woods, after a round that included two three putts, a mud ball and ball in the water. “I got a few bad breaks and it just didn’t happen.”

A mid-morning starter with amateur Edoardo Molinari and Robert Allenby under warm, sunny skies, Woods parred the first three holes, three-putting the par-5 second for a bogey. He also bogeyed the newly-lengthened par-3 fourth hole, hitting the green with a 3-iron and three-putted again.

Woods steadied with three-straight pars, then recorded his first birdie of the round at the par-5 eighth. He parred No. 9 to make the turn in even-par 36, his best start since 2002.

At the par-4 10th, Woods’ drive collected mud on the mostly firm course and his 7-iron second shot sailed left of the green. His pitch rolled off the front of the green and he did well to save bogey, chipping to eight feet and made the putt.

After a good drive at the par-4 11th, Woods pushed his second shot just right of the green and faced a tough chip. With little green to work with, he chipped four feet short of the hole and made the putt.

With 12 cameramen filming his every move, Woods almost holed a long birdie putt at the devilish par-3 12th, then failed to birdied the par-5 13th. He regrouped quickly at the par-4 14th, holing out his second shot with an 8-iron from 163 yards for an eagle, his first-ever on a par-4 in the tournament.

“It was interesting, because 13 played downwind,” Woods said. “You get to 14 and it’s playing downwind. They are opposite direction and they are both playing downwind. So at the time when I hit, it was a perfect 8-iron and I hit it up in the air and used the wind to get there. It landed soft and somehow found the bottom of the cup.”

Then, at the reachable in two par-5 15th, Woods pulled his drive left and laid up short of the pond. Unfortunately for him, the ball rolled in the back of a deep divot and he had almost no shot. Woods considered hitting a 7-iron into the left grandstands to get a free drop, but decided to hit down on a sand wedge and maybe blade the ball over the back of the green. Instead, he hit it fat into the water and lost his momentum with a double-bogey.

Woods made a nice par save from about five feet at the par-3 16th, then pushed his drive way right at the par-4 17th. From there, he hit a nice approach within 10 feet of the hole and missed the putt.

“I left myself with the easiest putt in the world and just missed it,” he said.

Woods finished strong with a birdie at the demanding par-4 18th. He hit a 6-iron from 204 yards to within 35 feet and buried the putt.

“To make one there was kind of a gift,” said Woods.

In the last three years, Woods has opened with 74, 75 and 76. He has never broken 70 in the first round here, even during his four victories. In 1997 he shot 70; in 2001 he shot 70; in 2002 he shot 70; and in 2004 he shot 74.

“I’m in good shape,” he said. “The golf course is playing very difficult.”

Although conditions were fast and firm and wind negligent, only a few players broke 70.

“It played more like a U.S. Open than a Masters,” said Woods. The course was quick and dry and the greens are picking up speed.”

As for the course changes – 155 yards were added to six holes this year, Woods refused to say whether they have helped or hurt the course.

“It is what it is,” Woods said. “We all have to play them. For the first time in years, the course is playing fast.”

Woods tees off Friday at 1:30 p.m. local time. The weather forecast is good, although there is a 70 percent of thunder showers on Saturday. notas_de_prensa_archivo