Thursday 11 April 2019 23:27, UK
Tiger Woods felt he gave himself an excellent platform to contend for a fifth Masters title after he opened with a two-under 70 at Augusta.
The four-time champion ramped up the atmosphere on day one when he birdied 13 and 14 to get into a share of the lead on three under, although he bogeyed 17 after a poor drive and settled for a place in the chasing pack heading into a late tee time for the second round.
Woods was solid rather than spectacular over the outward nine, picking up an early birdie at the second before missing excellent chances for further gains on the next two greens and then becoming one of many victims of the newly-lengthened fifth.
But he got back on track with a three at the ninth and then safely negotiated 10, 11 and 12 in pars before he two-putted from long-distance for a birdie at the 13th and added another at the next.
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The 43-year-old flew the green with his second to 15 and was lucky to avoid the water, but he scrambled a par and was unable to do the same at the penultimate hole having blocked his drive deep into the pines.
"I feel very good," he said. "I feel like I played well and I controlled my golf ball all day. I've shot this number and won four coats, so hopefully I can do it again.
"I did all the things I needed to do to post a good number. I drove it well, hit some good iron shots, and my speed was good on the greens.
"And it was tricky, the wind puffs up, it goes down, it switches directions, and it's typical of this golf course, it just kind of swirls out there and it's hard to get a read on the exactly what it's doing at all times.
"We still have a long way to go. I tee off late on Friday and the wind is supposed to be up, so I have my work cut out for me the rest of the week and so does everyone else.
"The whole idea is to try and peak for four times a year, I feel like my body's good and my game's good, it's sharp. So I've just got to go out there and execute and I've got to do the proper things and, if I do miss, I miss in a proper spot."
