SHEBOYGAN: Tiger Woods wasted little time shaking off the most miserable performance of his career.
The 14-time major championship winner shot a one-under 71 after starting his opening round of the 92nd PGA Championship with three birdies on the first four holes.
Woods birdied his final hole of the day to reach one-under in a round that included four birdies and three bogeys on the Whistling Straits course.
Woods, who is fresh off his worst career performance at the Bridgestone Invitational, needed just four putts on the opening four holes after starting his round from the 10th tee.
"I got off to a quick start and all of a sudden I felt like I could shoot something in the 60s," said Woods. "It didn`t quite happen. I lost a few shots out there but I made a nice birdie (final hole) and finished under par for the day."
The world number one Woods got to three under at one point and briefly had a share of the lead.
"I played too good not to shoot under par," Woods said. "It would have been very disappointing and frustrating to end up at even par with as well as I played today."
Woods` game has hit the skids coming into the final major of the season when he shot a fourth round 77 to finish in a tie for 78th at the Bridgestone -- a tournament he had won seven times before.
Woods said his preparation was better for this week and brushed off the Bridgestone debacle on Thursday by saying, "Everyone has bad weeks."
The four-time PGA Championship winner is without a win this season and without a major title in the past two years as he battles to rebuild his career and reputation following the sex scandal which engulfed him last November.
Woods is playing in a trio for the first two days with South Korean defending champion Yang Yong-eun and 2004 PGA Championship winner Vijay Singh.
Wearing a white shirt in the hot, muggy conditions, Woods` approach from 80 feet out on the par-four 361-yard 10th hole landed on the green before snaking in a 10 foot putt for birdie.
Woods hit another superb tee shot on his second hole and followed it up with an iron shot landed 10 feet from the pin.
His first errant shot came off the tee at No. 12 (his third hole of the day) as he put it over the green and across a public foot path. But he was able to recover and get his second shot on the green and save par.
"It was nice to get a good start," Woods said. "I made a nice putt at 10 (first hole) and a nice up and down on 12.
"I put it the only place you can`t put it and got away with it. I had another good putt on 13."
BDST: 1419HRS, August 13, 2010
