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Tiger struggles to be 9 adrift of pace
World number one Tiger Woods's bid for a fourth green jacket got off to a stuttering start with a bogey-littered first round at the U.S. Masters on Thursday.
Two bogeys and a double bogey along with a two-hour weather delay contributed to a miserable outing for Woods, who left the course in the Georgia twilight on four-over-par after 14 holes, nine strokes adrift of leader Justin Rose of Britain.
The best moment of the day for Woods appeared to come when the blare of the horn suspended play due to darkness, allowing the 28-year-old American a chance to go home and regroup before returning to complete his round early on Friday.
Woods, who has eight major titles to his credit but has endured a barren run of six starts without adding to his total, was in no mood to discuss his performance, leaving without talking to the media.
Ever since Woods turned professional in 1996, every aspect of his game, swing and personal life has been dissected and analysed.
Under increasing scrutiny over his form since his 2002 split with coach Butch Harmon, Woods has been below his best for much of the last 15 months with his accuracy off the tee and the precision of his approach play.
Dismissing suggestions of a slump, he arrived at the Augusta National bristling with his usual confidence.
But a bogey on the par-four opening hole followed by a double-bogey on the par-four fifth quickly turned Woods's trademark grin to a grimace.
As his play continued to deteriorate so did his mood, and he swung his club at the ground in frustration after watching his ball sail over the fifth green into a tangle of Magnolia bushes.
Another bogey on the par-five eighth and Woods was looking for a respite, which came on the next hole in the form of a thunderstorm that halted play.
Two hours later, he returned to the course but was unable to mount a charge, settling for five successive pars as his putting deserted him.
While his start is certain to send shudders through the legions of disbelieving fans that followed him round the course, Woods will feel no immediate sense of panic knowing he has erased such deficits before.
At the 1997 Masters, Woods also carded a four-over 40 on the front nine of his opening round before rallying to claim his first green jacket.
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