Page 19 - ARUBA TODAY

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SPORTS Friday 26 January 2018
Woods brings back big crowds, big cheers with a 72

By DOUG FERGUSON Woods made his other two
AP Golf Writer bogeys from greenside
SAN DIEGO (AP) — Tiger bunkers, both times missing
Woods brought big crowds 12-foot putts.
back to golf, and he even He played the par 5s in
produced a few big roars. even par, and didn’t give
In his first PGA Tour event in himself any other birdie
a year because of a fourth chances inside 15 feet.
back surgery, Woods mixed “It’s hard to make a lot of
a few mistakes with a few birdies when you’re not
shots that looked familiar giving yourself any looks,
Thursday on his way to an and I didn’t do that today,”
even-par 72 in the opening Woods said. “Tomorrow,
round of the Farmers Insur- hopefully, I’ll drive a little
ance Open. better, get my irons obvi-
“It was fun to compete ously a lot closer and we
again. It was fun to be out get the better of the two
there,” Woods said. greens tomorrow. So we’ll
But he was seven shots see what happens.”
behind Tony Finau, who But there was no mistaking
led with a 65 on the North his presence.
Course at Torrey Pines, and Fans lined both sides of
Woods will play that course the opening fairway in an-
on Friday on the bubble to ticipation of seeing Woods, Tiger Woods hits out of the bunker on the 16th hole hole of the South Course at Torrey Pines Golf
make the cut. With virtually who was playing the PGA Course during the first round of the Farmers Insurance Open golf tournament Thursday, Jan. 25,
no wind on a day for rea- Tour for only the second 2018, in San Diego.
sonable scoring, he was time since August 2015. Associated Press
tied for 84th. That was right before he to my start. From there I He had a one-shot lead par-5 18th, but he saved
Woods was steady on the had a second and third was just able to let the golf over Ryan Palmer and Ted par with a 15-foot putt.
South Course, and at times surgery on his back, which course come to me. The Potter Jr., who each had a “Just unfortunate it hap-
spectacular. kept him away for some par 5s are very reachable 66 on the South. pened, but I made a good
His three birdie putts were 15 months. He returned at for me hitting some irons in Defending champion Jon putt, had a couple re-
from a combined 30 inch- Torrey Pines last year and there. Again, I think it was Rahm, who can reach No. ally good putts down the
es. The longest of his birdie opened with a 76 on his just my start. I got off to a 1 in the world by winning, stretch and had a good
putt was from just inside way to missing the cut. A good start and was able to opened with a 68 on the finish,” Rahm said. “Good
2 feet on No. 10 that got week later, he withdrew af- ride that momentum all the South. He hit into the water momentum going to
him back to even par for ter a 77 in Dubai with back way through the round.” with his second shot on the tomorrow.”q
the round. He was one spasms and was gone
rotation away from mak- again. Regardless of the
ing a long eagle putt on score, Woods looked as
the par-5 sixth. What really though he’s back for the
made the gallery delirious long haul. The fusion sur-
was his 6-iron on par-3 16th gery eliminated the pain.
hole that rolled toward the And while he wasn’t sharp,
hole and broke just in front Woods hit the ball plenty
of the cup, settling 8 inches far and saw at least a little Located in the Riu Antilles Resort (Formerly the Westin Resort)
away. With the sun starting bit of golf that made him
to set behind the Pacific, it such a dominant figure. FREE TRANSPORTATION TO THE CASINO FROM ALL
was hard for him to see. The South Course, which HIGH RISE AND LOW RISE HOTELS AND TIMESHARES.
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and then we were listen- that Woods won, typical-
ing for some noise,” Woods ly is far stronger than the LIVE POKER
said. But he needed those North at Torrey Pines. That’s
three birdies to offset his no longer the case with the
mistakes, and the sober- North getting a makeover GAMES START 8 PM TO THE WEE HOURS
ing part of his return is that two years ago, with bent
Woods didn’t make a putt greens that are firm this
longer than 4 feet. That was week and narrower fair- 1-2.....2-5......5-5 1-3.....2-5......5-5
on the second hole, when ways. $100 HIGH HAND BONUSES EVERY HOUR
his approach from the bun- The average score on the OVER $20,000 PER WEEK GIVEN OUT IN HIGH HAND BONUSES
ker landed 6 feet behind South was 71.62, com-
the hole and went over the pared with 71.31 on the CRAPS
back into light rough. North.
He also gave away a shot Finau birdied his open- ONLY CASINO IN ARUBA TO OFFER 3, 4 & 5 TIME ODDS
on the par-5 13th, when ing two holes to set the
he laid up from the rough tone for his round, and he
and hit a wedge that drift- wound up with nine birdies, SPORTSBOOK
ed right and went into the the last one from 35 feet to
bunker. He blasted that take the lead. LIVE SIMULCAST OF ALL MAJOR TRACKS
out to 3 feet, which was “It played a lot tougher THROUGHOBRED AND HARNESS
the hard part. And then he than it did in the past,” Finau
missed the short par putt . said. “I think it’s just a credit