In his first competitive round of golf in 508 days, Tiger Woods completed his first 18 holes at Augusta National without showing much rust. Just 14 months removed from nearly losing his right leg in a serious car accident, the game's most iconic player shot an astonishing 1-under par 71 in the opening round of The Masters on Thursday.
Woods' performance was a resounding success, and he said as much while speaking to reporters afterward. Although the 46-year-old is playing through pain in his surgically repaired leg, he believes that adrenaline and his training regimen will keep him competitive and perseverant. Woods had three birdies on Thursday, and the Augusta crowd enjoyed one of his first pumps following a made putt on the 16th hole.
"I thought that 72 holes was going to be a good week for him. But if I had to put a number on it, I went with top-30. Anything better than that, 'surprised' isn't the right word," Golf Channel writer Rex Hoggard explained to The Zach Gelb Show on Thursday. "We've seen him do amazing things. And I've been proven wrong by Woods too many times to ever doubt him again. I just think the things he's going to have to overcome, it's going to be enormous.
"He's going to have to put himself back together, day after day. And at some point, it just wears you down. So, I think anything inside the top-30 is good. This is the easiest major to make the cut in, because there's some amateurs in the field, past champions. I think he'll make the cut. As far as getting into contention, I guess I wouldn't be surprised. But that's a far cry, right now."
Woods sustained serious injuries in a single-car crash in February 2021, near Los Angeles. He suffered open fractures to his lower right leg, and had a rod inserted in his tibia and screws and pins inserted in his foot and ankle during emergency surgery. The last time he'd played in a regular PGA Tour event was 17 months ago, when he finished tied for 38th at the 2020 Masters.
Fortunately for Woods, he's been given close to 24 hours to recover, as his second-round time is set for 1:41 p.m. ET on Friday. Before the tournament began, Woods was listed as a 40-to-1 shot to win, according to William Hill. Now, the odds are 35-to-1. If he miraculously captures a sixth green jacket this Sunday, he'll be tied with legend Jack Nicklaus for the most all-time.
The entire conversation between Green and Gelb can be accessed in the audio player above.
You can follow The Zach Gelb Show on Twitter @ZachGelb and Tom Hanslin @TomHanslin.