Tiger Woods finishes first round at Masters one under par

Tiger Woods got off to a relatively strong start Thursday with a score of 71 in the first round. Rob Schumacher-USA TODAY Sports

Tiger Woods finishes first round at 2022 Masters one under par

By Adam Stites | Last updated 4/7/22

The return of Tiger Woods got off to a relatively strong start Thursday with a score of 71 in the first round of the 2022 Masters at Augusta National.

His one-under-par but had Woods tied for eighth at the time of his round ending, but several more golfers were still working their way through the course. Woods finished the day with three birdies and a pair of bogeys.

A @TigerWoods fist pump on 16

The birdie moves Tiger back into red numbers. pic.twitter.com/qb6AvOXvVg
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) April 7, 2022

At the end of the second round, the top 50 players (as well as any players tied for a spot in the top 50) will advance to the final 36 holes of the tournament.

Woods, 46, was involved in a serious car accident in February 2021 and suffered injuries so severe that he nearly lost his leg. His last tournament — aside from a 36-hole father-son tournament with his son, Charlie, in December — was the 2020 Masters, where he finished in a tie for 38th at one under par.

Australia's Cameron Smith got out to an early lead, but a double-bogey on hole 18 ate into his score. Still, he finished the day four under par and led at the time of Woods' round ending.

Woods is a five-time Masters champion and is tied with Sam Snead for the most ever PGA Tour wins. He hasn't won a tournament since 2019.

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