DUBLIN, Ohio — Tiger Woods‘ to start with PGA Tour function in much more than 150 times started out and finished the similar way: with a birdie.

Woods, playing in his very first tour event due to the fact February, shot a 71 in the very first spherical of the Memorial Event on Thursday.

“Effectively, it truly is been a even though considering that I have played,” Woods mentioned. “Obtained off to almost an ideal start off and received a come to feel for the spherical early. I just failed to make nearly anything currently. I experienced seems to be at birdies, but I really failed to make a lot.”

On a working day when not numerous golfers scored properly, Woods was tied for 18th, five shots driving the chief Tony Finau (-6). Woods showed no symptoms of rust, as two of his 4 birdies arrived on the 1st 3 holes. And two of his a few bogies happened on the entrance 9, the place he finished at even-par 36.

Woods failed to choose advantage of the par-3s, as he shot 2 more than on the 4 holes. He finished his much-predicted return by creating a 14-foot birdie on No. 18 that would have possible bundled a roar from the group had admirers been in attendance for the match.

“Nicely, I would like to have commenced with simpler problems,” he explained. “Wind pumping and swirling all about the position, and it was different. It was hot, the ball was jogging, it truly is having down there. When I viewed final week it was not accomplishing that, and surely the observe spherical it was not doing that. But the golf program has changed. It’s gotten speedier, and it is really only heading to continue on to get more quickly.”

The 71 was better than the past round Woods performed, when he shot 77 to end last amongst people who produced the slash at the Genesis Invitational on Feb. 16. He reported he was dealing with again stiffness all over that event.

The only other time Woods has played due to the fact February was when he teamed with former NFL quarterback Peyton Manning to engage in in opposition to Phil Mickelson and Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady in a May possibly charity function to raise cash for coronavirus aid.

“It felt very good [to be back]. I signify, it felt great,” Woods claimed. “I was a small bit rusty, but felt like overall it was a superior start out.”

Woods mentioned he is not worried about the small turnaround, as he’ll tee off at 8:17 a.m. ET with Rory McIlroy and Brooks Koepka in the next round Friday.

“I have felt great about my education more than the very last number of months,” Woods said, “and I’ve gotten completely ready for this.”