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A21
SPORTS Friday 16 February 2018

Riviera

Continued from Page 17

I’m very pleased with my
round, but I missed a lot of
very makeable birdie putts,
and it could have been a
lot better round today. But
it was fun because I was
very in control of what I was
doing out there.”
Hoge birdied the 15th and
18th holes, two of the stron-
ger holes at Riviera.
Defending champion
Dustin Johnson was among
those playing in the af-
ternoon, and he already
was in a hole. Johnson
chopped up the fifth hole,
going over the green from
deep grass for his third shot,
and then taking two to get
on the putting surface on
his way to a triple bogey.
Woods opened with a
birdie by playing the short
par-4 10th to perfection. His
fourth shot was sailing to-
ward the eucalyptus trees,
and before long, Woods Tiger Woods, with the gallery looking on, twists as he watches his approach shot from the rough on the 12th hole during the first round
was riding in a cart back to of the Genesis Open golf tournament at Riviera Country Club Thursday, Feb. 15, 2018, in the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles.
the tee. The ball was never Associated Press
found, presumably lost in board.” up watching Tiger do what He heard plenty of sto- The most encouraging
the tree. He made double Woods played with Jus- he did,” Saunders said. ries about his grandfather, start might have belonged
bogey. Woods finished by tin Thomas, who had a 69, “And I’m a big fan like we Arnold Palmer, who first to Graeme McDowell,
playing his second shot to and Rory McIlroy, who had all are out here and it’s re- brought the masses to golf who has been hitting it
the ninth green from a bun- a 71. ally cool to see him out and more than a half-century well in practice and get-
ker on the 10th hole. He still They had the largest gallery we all want him to be out ago. ting nothing out of it on
managed par. of the day, most of them here every week and play- “I think that’s why I have so the golf course. McDowell
In between was mostly a to see Woods, who had ing well. It just brings a dif- much respect for what he has missed the cut in four
decent day with Woods not played at Riviera since ferent buzz to the tourna- did and admire his career straight starts. He opened
converting seven putts in- 2006. It was never hard to ment and it’s really good so much, because I didn’t with a 69.
side 10 feet, a mixture of figure out where Woods for the game of golf, so it’s get to see my grandfa- “I need to string some num-
pars and birdies, in a 72. was on the golf course, cool for me to be playing ther’s firsthand like I got bers together, get in the
“I’m not that far off to re- and that was particularly in a tournament that he’s to see Tiger’s growing up mix a little bit on the week-
ally putting some good true for Saunders. playing in and be able to watching TV,” Saunders end, start believing in my-
numbers out there,” Woods He was teeing off on the compete against him, a said. “I know there’s a lot of self a little bit,” McDowell
said. “I’ve got to clean up par-3 fourth when he guy that I grew up just in parallels there.” said. “That’s that little ‘X’
my card — too many bo- looked down the hill at awe of basically.” Chez Reavie was in the factor that you can’t go
geys out there. If I can just Woods playing the 18th. Saunders knows all about group at 68 and he was the practice. You can’t go
clean that up, I can start “I looked over and the energy one player can only player from the morn- practice having the belief,
making my way up the watched because I grew bring to a tournament. ing to play bogey-free. you know?”q