Woods shoots 75 in slow start to FedExCup Playoffs

JERSEY CITY, N.J. – Tiger Woods did not show any visible discomfort, but the 81-time PGA TOUR winner still struggled mightily in Thursday’s opening round of THE NORTHERN TRUST as the FedExCup Playoffs got underway.

Woods – who complained of back stiffness in the pro-am on Wednesday and limited himself to chipping and putting for half his practice round – scratched together a clunky 4-over 75 at Liberty National.

Afterwards, he admitted there was still a little stiffness in his surgically repaired back but that it was not an excuse for his play. In the end, it was just a bad day.

It left the two-time FedExCup champion a distant 13 shots off the hot early pace set by Troy Merritt and better than only one player (Patrick Rodgers) from the morning wave. It's a much different position than his first two visits to Liberty National, when Woods finished T-2 and just one shot behind the winners in 2009 and 2013.

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“We all knew it was soft out here with the rain last night. I knew I had to go get it, post a low one, and didn't do it,” Woods lamented.

“It's certainly out there. Certainly gettable. Greens are soft. Fairways are soft. You can play aggressively and not have any real ramifications for playing aggressive.

“It just feels frustrating to shoot anything high no matter how I feel. We had the perfect greens and had to go out there and shoot something under-par and get it going. Had to be 4-, 5-, 6-under par today. I went the other way with it.”

Woods opened this year’s Playoffs at 28th in the FedExCup points list and is secure for next week’s BMW Championship, where the top 70 players advance to Medinah Country Club. But should he miss the cut at Liberty National – a possibility after his Thursday score – he will likely fall outside the top 30 before heading there.

The top 30 players after the BMW Championship advance to the TOUR Championship at East Lake, where Woods secured an iconic victory a year ago. Thursday’s round put his place to defend in serious jeopardy.

“I'm going to have to figure out a way to get this thing under par and hopefully move on and have a chance on the weekend to keep progressing and keep going lower,” Woods said.

“I've got to get into the red at the end of the day tomorrow for sure.”

The struggles for Woods begun early when he pulled a wedge into a greenside bunker on the 12th hole (Woods started his round off the 10th tee). The 43-year-old went from that sand trap to another before making bogey.

While he rebounded with a birdie on the 13th, Woods made a critical error on the picturesque short par-3 14th. With the Statue of Liberty in full view, Woods overcooked his 9-iron well over the required 140-yards into a penalty area. He eventually walked off with a double bogey.

Further bogeys on 15 and 17 left Woods making his turn at 4-over and reeling at the back of the pack.

While he managed two birdies on the front side, his second nine also included a 3-putt bogey from 15 feet on the par-4 third as well as a closing bogey on No. 9.

He found just 10 of 18 greens in regulation and needed 30 putts.

“It was just off. I was just trying to feel it, trying to find it, and then could never get it. Then I got on a bad run there, a couple bogeys and a double. I had my opportunities to turn it around and I didn't do it,” Woods continued.

“I just didn't play well. Just one of those things where I just didn't hit any good shots and didn't make any putts. Other than that, added up to a round that broke 80.”