GRAND BLANC TOWNSHIP, Michigan – Tiger Woods continued at the Buick Open where he left off from the British Open in shooting a 1-under 71 on Thursday.
He finished the first round tied for 128th on putts inside 10 feet and eight shots behind leader Steve Lowery.
“Probably one of the worst putting days I’ve ever had,” Woods said. “It was just terrible.”
Two weeks ago in the British Open, Woods was 7 over during a six-hole span and ended up missing a cut for the first time in three years.
If Woods fails to break 70 in the second round on Friday, he will put himself in danger of missing cuts in consecutive tournaments for the first time as a pro.
It’s too early, though, to count him out for the weekend at Warwick Hills even though the cut is usually 3 or 4 under. He opened the 2005 Buick Open with a 71, bounced back with a course-record tying 61 and finished tied for second.
“I not only have to play well to make the cut, I got to play well to get myself back in contention,” said the two-time Buick Open champion, whose worst finish in eight previous stops here was a tie for 11th. “Guys are going to continue to go low. That’s the way the golf course is playing right now.
“It’s going to be 20-plus to win.”
It usually is.
The average winning score has been almost 21 under par since 2000 at Warwick Hills, one of the easiest courses on the US PGA Tour.
Lowery took advantage of perfect conditions – smooth, receptive greens and calm winds – in the morning by tying a course record with a 29 on the front nine and finishing 9-under 63.
John Senden also did, making five straight birdies in the morning and finishing with nine to end up only a shot off the lead.
Y.E. Yang, James Nitties, Vaughn Taylor, Brian Vranesh were two strokes back with 65s.
The 48-year-old Lowery hasn’t finished better than 24th this year. He won at Pebble Beach last year, earning a third victory on the tour and his first since 2000.
Lowery has an 18-hole lead for the 19th time and is hoping to turn that tenuous position at the Buick Open into a title for just the second time in his career. (AP)