Tiger Woods shoots two-over 74 in first round of Masters

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It was always going to be an uphill battle for the five-time Masters champ in Augusta this weekend.

Tiger Woods shot an up-and-down 74 in the first round on Thursday, his fifth round of competitive golf this year.

The Masters is the 47-year-old's second tournament this year after participating in the Genesis Invitational at Riviera in late February. He just barely made the cut and finished T-45 that weekend.

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Tiger Woods plays a shot from a bunker during the first round of the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 6, 2023. (Andrew Redington/Getty Images)

Woods bogeyed three of his first seven holes but birdied eight to get to +2 – he managed even golf for the remainder of the round.

After bogeying 11 to begin Amen Corner, Woods birdied both 15 and 16, the first of which came on 30-foot putt on the par-five. But after hitting back-to-back bunkers on 18, he had to settle for a bogey to finish his round.

Tiger Woods lines up a putt on the 13th green during the Masters Tournament on April 6, 2023. (Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images)

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Woods was paired with Viktor Hovland and Xander Schauffele. The former shot a seven-under 65 to be the leader in the clubhouse by the time their round finished. Schauffele shot a 69.

Woods' odds of winning a sixth green jacket, which would tie Jack Nicklaus' record, now seem like a huge outside chance – which already was the case – but he is still playing for some history that now may be in jeopardy.

Woods has advanced to Saturday in 22 consecutive Masters he has