LOUISVILLE, Ky. — One day after his dramatic entrance to Valhalla to play the PGA Championship, Tiger Woods played his opening round with good news and bad news.
The good news is he got through 18 holes of competition Thursday with no evident signs of discomfort in his surgically repaired back, which forced him to withdraw from the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational on Sunday.
The bad news for Woods is he did not play particularly well, shooting a 3-over-par 74, nine shots behind the first-round leaders, putting pressure on him to card a low round Friday to make the cut.
“It wasn’t very good —a lot of bad shots and I never got a putt to the hole,’’ Woods said. “I had plenty of looks to turn my round around and then post something even par, even under par. I didn’t play as well as I wanted to, and I didn’t get a putt to the hole. That’s not a good combo.’’
Woods said he felt like he had it on the practice range in the morning, but it did not translate in competition.
“My swing was dialed in on that range out there, unfortunately, I didn’t carry it to the golf course,’’ he said.
He said his back was “a little bit stiff’’ after the round, “but that’s about it. The surgery part is fine. That’s all good.’’
Addressing his prospects of making the cut, Woods said, “If I get under par for two rounds, that will be right in the ballgame.’’
Woods is paired with Padraig Harrington and Phil Mickelson for the first two rounds, a pairing that always motivates Mickelson.
Earlier in their respective careers, Woods owned Mickelson in head-to-head showdowns, but in recent years that trend has reversed. That trend continued Thursday with Mickelson staving off a poor start to shoot a 2-under-par 69, five shots better than Woods.
That makes Mickelson 9-5-1 against Woods head-to-head since 2007.
Afterward, though, instead of gloating, Mickelson showed compassion for Woods and his return from the back injury, showering his rival with praise.
“I thought he played with a lot of heart,’’ Mickelson said. “It’s not easy when your game isn’t where you want it and you’re hitting shots that you don’t normally hit to fight hard. I thought the second hole was a great example, when he hooked it into the water and a lot of guys would just not play as focused, not put it all in the next shot. He grinded out a bogey. He made a great up‑ and ‑down, made a 15-‑footer for bogey. I just thought it showed a lot of heart.’’