Tiger Woods opens with 69 at Genesis Invitational, trails Homa, Mitchell by 5

The scene was similar to the last time Tiger Woods played against the world's best. Fans packed onto every balcony on every level of the Riviera clubhouse in Los Angeles Thursday, all of them straining for a rare sight of golf's biggest star.

Woods had them cheering even louder at the end.

He put on a show in his first competition in seven months, closing with three straight birdies and one big smile for a two-under 69 in the Genesis Invitational, leaving him five shots behind Max Homa and Keith Mitchell.

Woods went bunker-to-fairway-to-bunker on the 10th hole and had to make an eight-footer to save bogey. He was wild off the tee for another bogey on the 12th, leaving him over par on a mild, breezy afternoon.

And then he looked like the Woods of old at the end — a tee shot to five feet on the par-3 16th, another birdie from 25 feet on the par-five 17th and then a big drive — a few yards longer than Rory McIlroy — on the 18th that set up 9-iron to seven feet.

"I was able to fight back and get it going," Woods said. "It was a nice finish."

Birdie<br>Birdie<br>Birdie<a href="https://twitter.com/TigerWoods?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TigerWoods</a> closes out his first round <a href="https://twitter.com/thegenesisinv?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TheGenesisInv</a> in style. <a href="https://t.co/aBmxuBak0w">pic.twitter.com/aBmxuBak0w</a>

His legs held up fine, though still sore. The final task was making it up those 52 steps toward the clubhouse to sign his card. The next step is a quick turnaround. Woods finished about 5 p.m. local time, and faced a 7:24 a.m. start to the second round.

Homa played in the morning and also finished with three straight birdies for a 64. Mitchell played in the afternoon and birdied the last two holes to join