Tiger Woods insists 'I am where I need to be' in Masters hunt after brilliant first round

Tiger Woods insisted he is in the hunt for a sixth green jacket after returning to the Masters leaderboard on Thursday.

Playing in his first PGA Tour event since the November 2020 Masters, the American sat only three shots off the clubhouse lead following an opening 71 in his latest incredible comeback. Woods, 46, nearly lost his right leg in a car accident in February last year.

But he carded three birdies and two bogeys on his favourite course yesterday - and survived the physical challenge of walking the Augusta National course saturated by overnight rain. "I didn’t have a very good warm-up at all - I hit it awful," admitted the 15-time Major winner.

"I just blocked it out. I said to myself: 'You know what to do. Go out and hit it. And I was able to get into the red. I made two stupid mistakes back-to-back to make a bogey at the 8th.

"There was a loss of concentration a bit there. But at the end I am back in the red and where I need to be. I felt good. The whole idea was to keep pushing and keep recovering. I have been doing that."

Aussie Cam Smith held the early lead with a 68 which started and finished with a double bogey. The 2016 champion Danny Willett was the top European after his 69 - his best every opening round at the Masters. World No 1 Scottie Scheffler, who has won three of his last five events, also opened with a 69 after bogeying the last.

Woods had the Masters patrons transfixed throughout his opening round on Thursday, and nearly returned in the most magical way possible with an ace on the par-3 sixth.

On the 180-yard par-3, the 15-time major winner almost send the patrons into raptures, landing his six-iron approach just inches short of the hole.

It was the easiest of tap-in birdies for the