Tiger Woods struggles on final 10 holes, limps in with first-round 74 at PGA Championship

TULSA, Okla. — Tiger Woods was cruising through the first round of the 104th PGA Championship at Southern Hills Country Club on Thursday.

The 15-time major champion crushed his opening tee shot with a 3-wood down the middle on No. 10 and birdied his first hole. He was 2-under after making another birdie on the par-3 14th.

Even after a bogey on the par-4 15th, Woods seemed to be in better shape than the last time golf fans saw him, six weeks earlier, when he labored through the weekend and finished 47th at the Masters. He seemed to be more fluid and explosive off the tee, more accurate hitting approach shots and more confident putting.

But then something happened on his second shot on the par-4 18th. After hitting his tee shot to the perfect spot, just short of the creek on the right side of the fairway, Woods pulled his approach shot into a greenside bunker. He slammed his wedge into the turf in frustration.

For the first time in the round, after that shot, Woods seemed uncomfortable and was limping more noticeably on his surgically repaired right leg. He ended up bogeying the 18th hole and made the turn at even par.

Woods, 46, bogeyed the next two holes, too, and was suddenly 2 over. He recovered to birdie the par-4 third hole, but bogeyed three more holes, including his last two. He ended up finishing at 4-over 74.

Woods hit 10 of 14 fairways in the round, but just 7 of 18 greens. He was 2-for-6 on sand saves and 4 of 11 scrambling, after leaving himself with too many tricky putts. A few of his trademark «stingers» off the tee were off line.

Playing in just his second official tour event since he was seriously injured in a car accident outside Los Angeles in February 2021, Woods' round got off to a promising start.