Tiger Woods’ shank spoils solid first round of Genesis Invitational

PACIFIC PALISADES, Calif. — The sound was as unmistakable because it was unbelievable.

It was a sound you’re accustomed to hearing at a neighborhood muni, where public hackers wearing blue jeans and T-shirts are swinging and swatting golf balls all around the yard.

That sound was pure shank and it got here off the 8-iron of Tiger Woods from the 18th fairway at Riviera Country Club within the opening round of the Genesis Invitational on Thursday.

Woods had just piped his drive up the suitable side of the golf green and suddenly his second shot was rattling around within the trees to the suitable side of the golf green, bouncing on the cart path and dribbling right into a dodgy lie within the scruff where fans had been traipsing all day.

Woods was playing decently on the time, considering this was his first round in a full-field PGA Tour event since last 12 months’s Masters, some 10 month ago, and he was even par.

When a reporter tiptoed around mentioning the dreaded “S-word,” asking Woods in regards to the shot, he said, “Oh … I shanked it.’’

How did this occur to the most effective players the sport has ever seen?

“My back was spasming the last couple holes and it was locking up,’’ the 48-year-old Woods, whose foundation hosts the tournament, said. “I got here down and it didn’t move and I presented hosel first and shanked it.’’

He said it’s “definitely been some time’’ since he shanked a shot.

Now, Woods was facing the scariest shot in golf for his third — the swing after a shank — from trees.

“I had a small window there, 96 [yards to the] front, 127 total, and tried to hit a punch hook 8-iron after I just shanked an 8-iron,’’ Woods said. “I said, ‘All right, the subsequent shot’s imagined to be the harder,’ and I pulled it off, which is sweet.’’

Unfortunately, Woods did not pull off the miracle par save, which might have put an exclamation point on his return, because he missed the 16-foot par putt that followed the nifty punch shot through the trees.

It resulted in a 1-over par day for him and leaves him eight shots behind leader Patrick Cantlay, whose caddie, Joe LaCava, is Woods’ former caddie.

Cantlay, at 7-under after shooting 64, is followed by Aussies Jason Day and Cam Davis, and American Luke List — all of whom are 6-under. Jordan Spieth, Tom Hoge and Will Zalatoris, who’s making a comeback after back surgery, are all 5-under.

As for Woods, he described his round as “lots of good and lots of indifferent,’’ adding, “It was one or the opposite. I used to be either making birdies or bogeys and just never really got anything consistent going.’’

Woods, who played with good friends Justin Thomas and Gary Woodland, conceded that he was “definitely nervous’’ as he stood on the primary tee Thursday morning.

“I care about how I play and definitely I used to be feeling the nerves starting out,’’ he said. “I got off to an excellent start birdieing the primary [hole] and gave it right back up on the subsequent two holes and made a pair more birdies. It was one in all those days, just never really got anything consistently going and hopefully [Friday] I can clean it up.’’

Wood called jumping right into tournament golf after such a protracted layoff “unattainable to arrange for.’’

“I rely a lot on experience and having done this a protracted time, but still having the adrenaline dump within the system, the ball goes further, speed goes up, just the yardages are slightly bit different than they’re at home,’’ he said. “It’s just different and that’s just an element of playing competitive golf.’’

When he was asked what the remaining of his schedule could also be, whether he’ll have the option to stick with the hope of 1 tournament a month and have the option to play often enough to seek out a rhythm, Woods said, “I don’t know what that appears like. I’m hoping that’s the case, hoping that I play that much [once a month]. So far as the physical ups and downs, that’s just a part of my body, that’s a part of what it’s. That’s all right, I accept it and accept the challenges.

“I’m going to be rusty and I actually have to do a greater job at home prepping.’’

PACIFIC PALISADES, Calif. — The sound was as unmistakable because it was unbelievable.

It was a sound you’re accustomed to hearing at a neighborhood muni, where public hackers wearing blue jeans and T-shirts are swinging and swatting golf balls all around the yard.

That sound was pure shank and it got here off the 8-iron of Tiger Woods from the 18th fairway at Riviera Country Club within the opening round of the Genesis Invitational on Thursday.

Woods had just piped his drive up the suitable side of the golf green and suddenly his second shot was rattling around within the trees to the suitable side of the golf green, bouncing on the cart path and dribbling right into a dodgy lie within the scruff where fans had been traipsing all day.

Woods was playing decently on the time, considering this was his first round in a full-field PGA Tour event since last 12 months’s Masters, some 10 month ago, and he was even par.

When a reporter tiptoed around mentioning the dreaded “S-word,” asking Woods in regards to the shot, he said, “Oh … I shanked it.’’

How did this occur to the most effective players the sport has ever seen?

“My back was spasming the last couple holes and it was locking up,’’ the 48-year-old Woods, whose foundation hosts the tournament, said. “I got here down and it didn’t move and I presented hosel first and shanked it.’’

He said it’s “definitely been some time’’ since he shanked a shot.

Now, Woods was facing the scariest shot in golf for his third — the swing after a shank — from trees.

“I had a small window there, 96 [yards to the] front, 127 total, and tried to hit a punch hook 8-iron after I just shanked an 8-iron,’’ Woods said. “I said, ‘All right, the subsequent shot’s imagined to be the harder,’ and I pulled it off, which is sweet.’’

Unfortunately, Woods did not pull off the miracle par save, which might have put an exclamation point on his return, because he missed the 16-foot par putt that followed the nifty punch shot through the trees.

It resulted in a 1-over par day for him and leaves him eight shots behind leader Patrick Cantlay, whose caddie, Joe LaCava, is Woods’ former caddie.

Cantlay, at 7-under after shooting 64, is followed by Aussies Jason Day and Cam Davis, and American Luke List — all of whom are 6-under. Jordan Spieth, Tom Hoge and Will Zalatoris, who’s making a comeback after back surgery, are all 5-under.

As for Woods, he described his round as “lots of good and lots of indifferent,’’ adding, “It was one or the opposite. I used to be either making birdies or bogeys and just never really got anything consistent going.’’

Woods, who played with good friends Justin Thomas and Gary Woodland, conceded that he was “definitely nervous’’ as he stood on the primary tee Thursday morning.

“I care about how I play and definitely I used to be feeling the nerves starting out,’’ he said. “I got off to an excellent start birdieing the primary [hole] and gave it right back up on the subsequent two holes and made a pair more birdies. It was one in all those days, just never really got anything consistently going and hopefully [Friday] I can clean it up.’’

Wood called jumping right into tournament golf after such a protracted layoff “unattainable to arrange for.’’

“I rely a lot on experience and having done this a protracted time, but still having the adrenaline dump within the system, the ball goes further, speed goes up, just the yardages are slightly bit different than they’re at home,’’ he said. “It’s just different and that’s just an element of playing competitive golf.’’

When he was asked what the remaining of his schedule could also be, whether he’ll have the option to stick with the hope of 1 tournament a month and have the option to play often enough to seek out a rhythm, Woods said, “I don’t know what that appears like. I’m hoping that’s the case, hoping that I play that much [once a month]. So far as the physical ups and downs, that’s just a part of my body, that’s a part of what it’s. That’s all right, I accept it and accept the challenges.

“I’m going to be rusty and I actually have to do a greater job at home prepping.’’