Tiger in Position to Strike -- Again

AUGUSTA, Ga. -- Back in black, with a stylish blue stripe on each sleeve, Tiger Woods snarled and seethed like an unleashed animal as he walked to the first tee. His stare was so intense, he didn't notice the "patrons" who were pushing and shoving in an eight-deep scrum to catch a brief glimpse, pressing so zealously against the ropes that a security guard shouted, "Two steps back, please!"

Of course, this is what the world has awaited for 10 anxious months, the comeback from his Battle of Wounded Knee, the return of sport's most breathtaking and history-rattling show to a major stage. He can't repair the economy, cure diseases or stop Lindsay Lohan from fighting with her ex-girlfriend, but it's uncanny how Woods' presence stimulates the American attention span.

"Welcome back, Tiger," a boy yelled above the din. "Win for me."

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Maybe he'll still do that, son. And maybe he won't. Those of us who predicted a triumphant Masters party for Woods continue to like our chances, though Thursday was a wobblier experience than expected in his first major championship since doctors invaded his left knee and rebuilt his ACL. For a while there in the opening round, he wasn't even the best show at Augusta National, reduced to an afterthought and buried down the leaderboard by a lumpy journeyman with four career victories. Chad Campbell was the man flirting with the gods, recording birdies on his first five holes -- unprecedented stuff on these hallowed grounds -- en route to a 65. On a gorgeous day conducive to low scoring and minimal locker-room whining, with zero complaints about easy pin placements, Woods struggled early with his putter and fell nine shots behind at one point. Green jacket? He seemed in desperate need of a straitjacket, glaring at rude noise-makers in the gallery while displaying visible frustration every time a shot didn't obey his orders.

The parking-lot attendant could have broken par. The old Masters roars, lost in recent years because the course has a growl and an extra 500-plus yards in length, bounced off the dogwoods. Seems Tiger wasn't partaking in the fun, and he wasn't happy.

"You saw the way guys were tearing it up out there. Scores were there to be had," Woods said as darkness settled over Georgia. "I got fooled by the wind a few times. I knew I had to just hang in and that the back nine could be had."

His game finally recovered as the sun began to set over the splendid greenery. He strung together three birdies and appeared headed for his first-ever Masters opening round in the 60s. But then, inexplicably, he gave two shots back -- a missed four-foot putt on No. 17 and an overplay into the gallery above the 18th green, which led to an errant chip that rolled downhill and rested 50 feet from the hole. Instead of finishing birdie-par, he went par-bogey. "I was in position to shoot four- or five-under par and didn't get it done," he lamented. "I let a couple of shots slip away at the end there."

Still, what looked to be a deep, inescapable crater is now a simpler, manageable divot, a five-stroke deficit. Tiger can make up five shots at breakfast, and there's no reason to think he can't win for the fifth time here. He shot 70, right? Last three times he shot 70 to open the Masters, guess who won the tournament?

"That's how I won it four times," said Woods.



And how did it feel to be back in his personal playground, where he routed the field and shamed the racists a dozen years ago and forced the Augusta fathers to Tiger-proof a once-tame course?

"I felt the same," he said, "just kind of plodding along. You've just got to be patient and stay with it. It's not like I haven't been in this position before. It's a long week, and the weather is going to start changing. We have a long way to go."

It should surprise no one that he dwelt more on his failures than his successes, knowing the Augusta layout is more difficult than ever and, thus, less forgiving of mistakes. His round was lifted by a brassy, uphill, 25-foot putt on No. 14, yet he still was brooding about the missed gimme at No. 17, where he disgustedly placed his cap over his face and gritted his teeth. He could have reduced Campbell's lead to three strokes at that point, but, you know, I think his game will survive the curl-out.

"The last couple of years, my putting has been streaky here," Woods said. "I get on rolls where I make on everything and I get on rolls where I don't make anything. Consequently, I didn't win the tournament. You have to be very consistent around this golf course. Especially now -- there are not too many birdie opportunities. It's not like how it used to be. So given that, you've just got to be very patient and hit the ball well but make the putts when you have the opportunities, because they are not going to come as frequent as they used to."

As for the approach shot on 18, he still hadn't figured that one out. "It was unbelievable," he said. "I hit just a little 8-iron, and it flew 155 -- uphill. That's a long way to hit it. It is what it is. I hit a good shot and it ended up in a bad spot."

Campbell, too, finished poorly. After another four-birdie run on the back nine, he was in position to make more history and record the lowest single-round score at Augusta. The record is 63, shared by Greg Norman and Nick Price, but Campbell also gave away two shots on the final two holes. "I'm definitely happy with the round I played, but I'm a little upset with the way I finished," he said. The good news: Trevor Immelman led after the first round last year and won a green jacket. The bad news: He was the first opening-round leader or co-leader to do so since 1985.

And how about the weird karma? On the day Norman showed up at Augusta for the first time in seven years, prepared to forget his Masters demons and have some fun, guess who shot 67? Larry Friggin' Mize, the local native who haunts Norman to this day after beating him with a miracle 140-foot chip shot in a 1987 playoff here. Mize hasn't made a Masters cut in eight years, but there he is, tied for fourth, three shots ahead of The Shark. Any compassion for Norman after all these years?

"I really don't give that one much thought," Mize said. "You know, when you're competing, it's nothing personal. You're just playing your best, he's playing his best. So I don't really have those kind of feelings."

It was mentioned to Norman that Mize was high on the leaderboard. "I haven't even noticed the leaderboard, to tell you the truth," he said.

Then he was told that Mize was 5-under.

"Good for Larry. Well, that's great," Norman said. "It's great to see, and I think you're going to see a lot of good scores coming out of this golf course today. I would not be at all surprised if you see a 6- or 7-under or a 5-, 6-, 7-under leading the golf tournament at the end of the day."

He was right. Seven-under par leads the Masters. And Tiger Woods didn't shoot it.

Oh, how's the knee?

"It feels great, thank you," he said.

My guess is, he'll win for the kid.