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TORREY PINES, Calif. — Familiarity breeds content — and in some cases, low golf scores.
A week ago in his 2013 debut in Abu Dhabi, Tiger Woods was missing fairways with the frequency of a 15 handicapper — 17 of 28 to be exact. He subsequently missed the cut — an embarrassment exacerbated by the fact a two-shot penalty for an illegal drop doomed him, and he received a $3 million appearance fee to play in the event where he lasted just two days.
Yesterday in the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines — where Woods has won seven times, including the 2008 U.S. Open (his last major championship) — he looked like a different player than a week ago, carding a 4-under-par 68.
Woods trails the co-leaders, defending-champion Brandt Snedeker and K.J. Choi, by three shots entering today’s second round.
“That was probably the worst score he could have shot,” Woods’ caddie Joe LaCava said. “Thank God he made par on the last hole.”
Indeed, the only drawback to Woods’ PGA Tour debut was that he let a potential special round slip in the final few holes, but he did salvage the 4-under with a nifty up-and-down for par on 18.
He stepped to the 15th tee of the South Course (the more difficult of the two used for the tournament) at 6-under par, one shot out of the lead. But his tee shot landed behind a tree to the right of the 15th fairway, where he tried to cut an approach shot around the tree but failed to reach the green, resulting in a bogey to drop to 5-under.
On 17, he left his approach shot short of the green and missed the eight-foot par putt to drop to 4-under. Then on the par-5 18th hole, 96 yards out with a lob wedge, Woods sailed a shot over the green into a bunker, short-siding himself from the back pin.
His most important shot of the day was the 10-foot par-save putt to stay at 4-under par and avoid dropping three shots on the final four holes.
“I’m happy with [the score] either way,” Woods said. “I made a few mistakes out there, but I made some nice plays as well.”
One of his best plays of the day was a chip-in for eagle from a greenside bunker on No. 6. That came after a birdie on No. 5, which was preceded by a double-bogey on No. 4.
LaCava called Woods’ play “very encouraging.”
“Obviously, he feels very comfortable here. It’s like second-nature to him. But he’s still got to shoot a score and play well, which he did. It doesn’t mean you automatically play well just because you won here before,” he said.
Like Woods, Snedeker drew on his fond memories of the course from his victory here last year. He is 52-under par at this tournament in his career.
“It’s funny,” Snedeker said. “This is a long, difficult golf course with lots of rough and hitting a lot of iron shots. My strengths are driving and putting. … But for some reason it’s been good to me.”
Not as good as it has been to Woods.
“I think he’s won here more times than I’ve won on Tour [four times], so I think he knows this place pretty well,” Snedeker said.
mark.cannizzaro@nypost.com