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SPORTS Friday 29 June 2018
New putter doesn't do much for slumping Woods

By DOUG FERGUSON birdie chances from 8 feet was close."
POTOMAC, Md. (AP) — The or closer on the back nine. The course was the fourth-
guy who has been fiddling He made two of them — toughest on the PGA Tour
with putters because he one of them from 3 feet last year, trailing only three
wasn't happy with the re- — and didn't make a putt majors, though it was soft
sults finally saw his share of longer than 10 feet the en- enough and the wind was
putts go in. tire round. Woods kept the mild so that low scores
If only Tiger Woods could round from getting away were available. Kyle Stan-
have looked behind him, from him two big par saves ley won at 7-under 273 last
he might have seen J.J. to start the back nine, both year. Landry and Spaun
Spaun match his best score times having to chop it shared the lead at 7 under
of the year with a 7-un- back to the fairway. He after one round.
der 63 to share the lead got up-and-down from 147 "I expect that if we don't
with Andrew Landry in the yards on No. 11 by making get any rain the next few
Quicken Loans National. a 6-foot putt. days, the course is going
Spaun, who has gone "I rolled it well," Woods said. to firm up, greens get firm,
back-and-forth with put- "I mean, hey, if I'm hitting get a little bit quicker, but
ters four times in his last six putts on my line with my it's not going to be like last
tournaments, quietly went speed, then I'm happy. year," Billy Horschel said af-
about his business Thursday They'll go in eventually." ter his 64. "So you're going
while most of the attention It was the first competitive to have to go out with the
was on Woods in the group round for Woods on the mindset that it's a little bit
ahead of him using a mal- TPC Potomac, and his first different course, you can't
let-style putter to help him time playing the tourna- be as conservative, you've
shake out of a slump. ment since 2015. This also got to still try and make
A new putter gave Woods is the last edition, and the birdies."
a better feel, but the same field is among the weakest Andrew Putnam also was
middling results. He had six this year on the PGA Tour. at 64 while playing in the
birdie chances from 10 feet Rickie Fowler is the only afternoon. Beau Hossler
or closer and made two player in the top 10 in the and Abraham Ancer were
of them to offset a double world, and he also rallied another shot behind.
bogey early in his round, for a 70. Woods has been at least six
and he had to settle for an Even when he kept it in shots behind — and no bet-
even-par 70. the short grass off the tee, ter than a tie for 29th — af-
"I shot about the score I Woods didn't have a rea- ter the opening round of his J.J. Spaun watches his tee shot on the 17th tee during the first
round of the Quicken Loans National golf tournament, Thursday,
should have shot today," sonable birdie chance last six tournaments dating June 28, 2018, in Potomac, Md.
Woods said. until No. 5, and he missed to the Masters.q Associated Press
Landry shot his 63 in the from 10 feet. And then he
morning when the TPC Po- ran into trouble on the par-
tomac at Avenel Farm was 4 sixth, starting with a tee
soft, though still punishing shot he pulled left that car-
with its thick rough. Spaun omed off a tree and land-
did his work in the windier ed in a the mown path that
afternoon, even if no one leads from the tee to the
noticed. He played in the fairway. Woods tried to hit
group behind Woods, and a 3-wood to the green and
didn't even get leftovers it came up short and into
from thousands of fans the hazard. He had to drop
watching golf's biggest it in more rough, came up
draw. just short of the green and
"Hell, no," Spaun said with wound up making a 4-foot
a laugh. "They don't even putt to escape with double
know who I am. They played bogey.
so fast, actually. They were Going with an iron off the
a solid hole ahead of us. ... tee at the par-5 10th, he
I was kind of nervous, but pulled that into the hazard
I was more excited. I was but at least was able to
like, 'Oh, I'm going to get to chop it back to the fairway,
see his second shots from rip fairway metal around
looking back from the tee.' the green and chip it close
But they played so fast, I to save par. On the next
didn't even see him at all. I hole, he blasted a tee shot
just saw his pink shirt way in well right, over the gallery,
the distance." and had to pitch out back
He would have seen solid into play again. That par
play early, some wild shots felt like a birdie.
off the tee by Woods in the "That kept the momentum
middle and flawless work somewhat on my side,"
from tee-to-green late. Woods said. "I knew I had
Spaun wouldn't have seen some birdie holes coming
many putts go in. up to try to get back to un-
Woods had five straight der par for the day, and I