Former world number-one golfer Tiger Woods of the United States is back in competition after an 11-week break to heal injuries to his left leg.
Woods teed it up Thursday at the WGC Bridgestone Invitational in Akron, Ohio, and finished his first round at 2-under-par-68. He said he "hit the ball really flush" and that the hardest part was controlling the distance.
Woods is tied for 18th, six shots behind leader Adam Scott of Australia who fired a brilliant 8-under-par 62.
This had been the third-longest layoff of Tiger's career, during which he fired his longtime caddie, saying it was time for a change And on Monday he dropped to number-28, his lowest world ranking in 14.5 years.
It has been more than 20 months since Tiger's last victory, was which at the Australian Masters, shortly before he was exposed for having multiple extramarital affairs that led to his divorce.
Woods is playing a Firestone course where he has been quite successful. He has won seven times there, matching the most he has won on any course as a pro. However, he was at his low point on the course in the Bridgestone Invitational last year when he finished 78th in an 80-man field. Before that, Woods had never finished out of the top five on the course.
Woods last played May 12 when he withdrew from the Players Championship in Florida after nine holes after aggravating a strained left knee and left Achilles tendon.
While sidelined he missed two majors - the U.S. Open and the British Open. He called his return "fun" and added that he has missed the competition.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP and AP..
