Live Masters updates: Tiger Woods hole-by-hole first-round analysis

AUGUSTA, Ga. — With thousands of spectators watching his every move Thursday morning, Tiger Woods emerged from the Augusta National clubhouse, closed his eyes, took a deep breath as if to brace himself, opened his eyes and stepped into the next chapter of his legendary career.

The five-time Masters winner began his pursuit of his sixth green jacket under circumstances almost beyond belief.

He’s 14 months removed from a catastrophic rollover car accident that threatened his ability to walk, and yet somehow he remained a factor on the first day of the storied tournament.

Playing conservatively and frequently saving par with his putter, Woods shot a one-under 71.

“I felt good,” Woods said in a post-round interview with ESPN. “The whole idea was to keep pushing but keep recovering. . . . I’ve been doing that.”

“I figured once the adrenaline kicks in and I get fired up and get in my little world, I can get down to business.”

It was his first competitive round in 509 days, since the 2020 Masters that was postponed until November because of the pandemic.

Woods, 46, said during the week that his challenge wouldn’t be ball-striking or putting, but walking the undulating course on his rebuilt legs. He looked slightly stiff but not overly uncomfortable, although he did briefly clutch at his back after his errant tee shot on No. 9.

The day started with drizzle, the last vestiges of the thunderstorms that interrupted practice rounds on Tuesday and Wednesday. By the early afternoon, when Woods was on the back nine, blue skies and sunshine had returned.

Woods made par on his first five holes, then dropped to one under with a birdie on No. 6, a par-3 hole that he nearly aced. He gave that stroke back on No. 8, however, coming up short of the green on his third shot, running his fourth past the hole, then two-putting for bogey on his way back.

At one point, he missed five greens in a row but was able to scramble with his putting.

A birdie on the par-5 13th put Woods back in red numbers, but was right back at even par with a bogey on 14. Another birdie on the par-3 16th enabled him finish under par for the day.

Just before 8 a.m. PDT, caddie Joe LaCava emerged from the clubhouse carrying Woods’ black and green Monster Energy Drink bag with the distinctive Tiger headcovers. This was in a roped-off area under the famous oak tree with patrons — what they call spectators here — crowding outside the ropes and hoping for a glimpse at Tiger.

It had rained for the past two days, and drizzled again Thursday morning, so the grass outside the clubhouse was slick and even treacherous. Groundskeeper carts traversed the area in the pre-dawn hours, distributing coarse green sand as if salting the roads during a snowstorm. Augusta National is hillier than it looks on TV, so it’s easy to lose your footing and take a tumble.

After LaCava came out of the clubhouse, everyone knew that Woods was soon to follow. The place fell silent, and people in the restricted area — Augusta members, guests and media — wordlessly formed a sort of wedding receiving line for Woods to walk through when he came out of the clubhouse and made his way to the first tee.

Suddenly, the clubhouse door swung open and out stepped Woods, in black pants with a fuchsia shirt. When he saw the receiving line and crowd waiting outside the ropes, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. It was almost as if he were preparing himself to cliff dive or jump in an ice bath.

The crowd broke into applause with several people shouting “Tiger!” But the stillness in the air was something to behold. And once he walked through, it was as if everything came back to life and the world started spinning again. The receiving line dissipated and people resumed chatting away.

Among the Augusta members making the social rounds under the famous oak tree in their green jackets were Roger Goodell, Lynn Swann, Pat Haden and Heidi Ueberroth. Joe Buck, who isn’t a member but was taking it all in, was there as well.

Tiger was greeted with cheers and applause on the first tee, with the hole lined with several layers of patrons all the way to the green. He hit his tee shot a little to the right and behind a bunker. The round had begun.

Tiger finished an impressively solid first round by scrambling as he did most of the day, overcoming an errant tee shot with a safe second under tree branches, a deft chip with serious backspin and a nine-foot putt for par.

Tiger finished with a one-under par 71, 508 days since his last official round of competition and nearly 14 months after a car accident nearly cost him his right leg.

AUGUSTA, Ga. — On “Nandina,” the 440-yard, par-4 17th hole, Woods hit a solid drive just off the right edge of the fairway, then an approach just past the hole that set up a 19-foot putt for birdie. His putt broke a bit and he wound up two-putting for par.

AUGUSTA, Ga. — The par-3 16th, nicknamed “Redbud,” is 170 yards over water. Tiger hit a solid and safe tee shot, then drained a long, curling putt for birdie.

He pumps his fist for the first time the entire round and goes to 1 under.

AUGUSTA, Ga. — Australia’s Cameron Smith is leading the Masters at 6-under through 16 holes, even though he opened his round with a double-bogey.

He had birdies on five and six to claw his way back to even, then had five more to climb up the leaderboard. He birdied eight, nine, 12, 14, 15 and 16.

Sungjae Im is at 4-under, and there’s a logjam at minus-3 involving Danny Willett, Daniel Berger, Joaquin Niemann and the world’s No. 1 player, Scottie Scheffler.

After falling back to even par with the bogey on No. 14, Tiger stuck his third shot on the par-five No. 15 in the middle of the green and a two-putt produces still another par.

Meanwhile, Cameron Smith recorded four birdies in his first six holes on the back nine to pull ahead of the pack at six-under par. Sungae Im is alone in second place at four-under.

AUGUSTA, Ga. — Would you sell your house to Augusta National if the club offered you a boatload of cash?

These people said no, and they have the only house on the course.

Tiger’s tee shot on No. 14 was his worst of the day so far, hooking low and sharply to the left. He scolded himself loudly and for the first time mentioned his leg — the one that was nearly amputated after his car accident in Los Angeles 14 months ago.

But from the pine straw, Tiger crushed his second shot from 190 yards, the ball settling about 20 feet from the pin just beyond the green. Woods was animated watching the shot with the gallery cheering loudly behind him.

Tiger opted to chip rather than putt his downhill third shot and the ball speeded a good 10 feet past the cup. His pulled his uphill putt to the left, resulting in his second bogey and dropping him to even par on the day.

The 13th hole offered a reminder of Tiger’s Masters championship in 2019. On Sunday he put the ball in the middle of fairway 160 yards from the hole despite his foot slipping during his shot. He birdied the hole and was on his way to his fifth Green Jacket.

Tiger again birdied the 13th, this time doing by reaching the green in two shots and two-putting. He’s now one under par in a cluster with several other golfers.

AUGUSTA, Ga. — No. 12 is the shortest hole at Augusta, a 155-yarder called “Golden Bell.”

After a brief discussion, Tiger just told his caddie, “I love the way you’re thinking.”

Tee shot landed on the back left corner and he’s in good shape.

Two putts and another par. Tiger’s short game is pretty much on point and that bodes well for him.

AUGUSTA, Ga. — No. 11 is a 520-yard par-4 monster is called “White Dogwood” that’s the second toughest hole in Masters history.

Tiger has had to scramble to make par on the past two holes. This is the start of Amen Corner, and Augusta has lengthened the hole by 15 yards.

He smoked his drive straight down the left side. He’s got 215-220 to the front edge.

He says he can’t hit that shot any better, even though he leaves the ball just short of the green. He’s laughing and in good spirits.

Bump and run with a mid-iron that gets him pretty close.

Makes it to save par.

Tiger has missed five consecutive greens, saving par on all of them except No. 8.

He’s smiling.

Meanwhile, in non-Tiger action, Joaquín Niemann made an eagle on the ninth hole to go three-under par and take a two-shot lead in the Masters.

Niemann is playing with Tiger and with all of the attention on the five-time Masters champion coming off a horrible car accident, the 23-year-old Chilean is quietly putting together a solid round.

AUGUSTA, Ga. — After hitting a nice drive on No. 10, Tiger was a little short on his downhill 178-yard approach, rolling back off the green.

This is becoming a theme. He has come up short several times and this time threw up a hand in frustration, as if to say, “What’s the deal?”

The conditions are soft after all the rain, and Tiger’s approach would have jumped forward if the course were firm and dry.

He chipped four feet past the hole, leaving him with a downhill knee-knocker for par — and he drained it.

That’s par saves on 1, 9 and 10. He’s hanging right in there.

AUGUSTA, Ga. — Tiger made a downhill putt to save par on No. 9, avoiding back-to-back bogeys.

He makes the turn at even par.

That’s not bad, but he left some strokes out there.

Tiger got a break on his bad tee shot on No. 9. He rolled all the way through the trees and has a look at the hole, with his ball sitting up in the pine straw. Amazing that he has a shot at the green after that woeful shot off the tee.

Patrons have formed a big U around his ball. Is everyone at Augusta following him? Seems like it.

He’s in the shadows, looking at 121 yards to the middle of the green. He’s looking to draw a shot into the pin, with the wind coming from the right.

His shot caught the slope and rolled back off the green. The microphones caught his reaction, and it wasn’t “Fiddlesticks!”

AUGUSTA, Ga. — Tiger missed the fairway right on No. 7, and now he’s missed left on No. 9.

Not a great way to follow a highly disappointing bogey 6 on No. 8.

Even more ominous, he appeared to reach for his back on his tee shot. He looks OK walking down the fairway, but he certainly doesn’t like his tee shot that headed into the trees.

The right side is the play on this hole because it gives you a better angle into the green. Tiger no longer has that luxury.

AUGUSTA, Ga. — The commentators have noted that Joe LaCava, Tiger’s caddie, is participating a lot more than usual when it comes to reading putts.

Why?

Again, the commentators have a good theory: Tiger can’t bend down the way he once could, so it might be harder for him to read greens. Makes sense.

AUGUSTA, Ga. — Tiger has played this par-5 No. 8 hole at 31 under par during his Masters career.

He has a blind second shot. Good thing he knows Augusta National so well. He’s particularly effective on this hole.

From 269 yards and an uphill lie, he hit his shot short and right, but not bad.

Just like on the par-5 second hole, he has about 50 yards in on his third shot.

This one comes up short of the green. He’s not pleased.

His fourth shot is disappointing too. Ran it past the hole, leaving himself about 10 feet to save par — and par here would be a groaner.

Missed it and tapped in for a forehead-slapping bogey. Not a good hole.

It’s his 12th career bogey on this hole.

AUGUSTA, Ga. — You’ll see armless Masters chairs all over the course. They’re a mere $30 in the gift shop and they are ubiquitous. They are tradition, and there are specific rules regarding them.

Here’s something I wrote on the chairs:

http://161.35.110.226/sports/la-sp-masters-green-chairs-20190412-story.html

AUGUSTA, Ga. — Tiger is on the 450-yard, par-4 7th hole, called “Pampas.” It is long and straight and over time has been lengthened from 320 yards. The green is tiny and tough to stick.

His tee shot was a shade right and took a bad bounce off the fairway out of the chute and into the pine straw. He cut an iron under tree branches, settling just in front of a bunker guarding the green.

Tiger has missed his first fairway of the day, on No. 7, and is in the pine straw in the shadows of the Georgia pines. He can’t really run up a shot, and he has a very tight target with the pin on the front right as it is.

He hits a low cut shot and rolls the ball up just below the front bunker. Not a bad bailout. Tiger looks pretty happy about it.

Tiger hits a beautiful approach, his shot slamming on the brakes and settling in a foot from the cup. Tap-in par.

AUGUSTA, Ga. — The 180-yard sixth hole is called “Juniper” and features an elevated tee to a large, three-tiered green.

Tiger hit a cut 6-iron and nearly holed it. Like he was throwing a dart. The ball settled two feet, three inches from the hole. Amazing.

The putt was good and Tiger is one under par heading to the seventh.

Running isn’t allowed at the Masters — nor are cellphones — but you’ll sure see people speed-walking to get into position. Unlike every other PGA Tour event or major championship, reporters and photographers aren’t allowed inside the ropes. So there’s a lot of horse trading for positioning between patrons and photographers.

Here’s something I wrote in 2019 on the unique challenge of shooting the Masters.

The skies have gone from drizzly to gray to hazy blue. It’s warming up. It’s lunchtime now, so patrons are lining up for those $1.50 sandwiches — egg salad, pimento cheese, BBQ, Masters club, chicken salad on brioche — $2 soft drinks and $5 beers. The food prices are spectacularly low.

AUGUSTA, Ga. — The fifth hole is nicknamed “Magnolia” and is a treacherous 495-yard par-4. The tee box was moved back 40 yards for this year’s Masters, so it requires a 313-yard carry to get over the bunkers on the left. Jack Nicklaus made two eagles on this hole in the 1995 Masters, draining approaches from 180 and 163 yards.

No. 5 has been the most difficult hole at the Masters three years in a row. Tiger seems to be walking fine. The announcers noted that it’s a good thing he’s going early to late with his tee times because he’ll have more recovery time between rounds. Remember, walking likely will be his biggest physical challenge, not ball striking.

Tiger hit a 287-yard tee shot in the fairway to the right on the bunkers. Then he hit a beautiful approach to 15 feet, getting a big reaction from the gallery and setting up a makeable birdie putt. It was his best shot of the day so far. His putt lipped out of the cup and he settled for par. He walked it in, thinking he drained it, but instead remains even par heading to the sixth hole.

AUGUSTA, Ga. — Tiger’s tee shot on the par-3 fourth caught the false front but still made it up on the green. He has been below the pin on each of his first four holes and parred each one.

He had a long putt for birdie on the fourth hole and left it about two feet short. Woods is playing conservatively. It’s been 509 days since he last played competitively — in that Masters played in November 2020 because of the pandemic.

AUGUSTA, Ga. — At 7:55 a.m. PDT, caddie Joe LaCava emerged from the clubhouse carrying Tiger Woods’ black and green Monster Energy Drink bag with the distinctive Tiger headcovers. This was in a roped-off area under the famous oak tree with patrons — what they call spectators here — crowding outside the rops and hoping for a glimpse at Tiger.

It has rained for the past two days, and drizzled again Thursday morning, so the grass outside the clubhouse is slick and even treacherous. Carts that spread sand traversed the area in the pre-dawn hours, distributing coarse green sand as if salting the roads during a snowstorm. Augusta National is more hilly than it looks on TV, so it’s very easy to lose your footing and take a tumble.

After LaCava came out of the clubhouse, everyone knew that Woods was soon to follow. It was bizarre how everything got silent, and people in the restricted area — Augusta members, guests and media — wordlessly formed almost a wedding receiving line for Woods to walk through when he came out of the clubhouse and made his way to the first tee.

Everything got quiet, very little talking. It was like how birds get quiet when a big storm is rolling in. Suddenly, the clubhouse door swung open and out stepped Woods, in black pants with a fuchsia shirt. When he saw the receiving line and crowd waiting outside the ropes, it was as if he had to brace himself. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath before he took his first steps toward the tee. It was almost as if he were preparing himself to cliff dive or jump in an ice bath. It was very noticeable.

The crowd broke into applause with several people shouting “Tiger!” But the stillness in the air was something to behold. And once he walked through, it was as if everything came back to life and the world started spinning again. The receiving line dissipated and people resumed chatting away.

Among the Augusta members making the social rounds under the famous oak tree in their green jackets were Roger Goodell, Lynn Swann, Pat Haden and Heidi Ueberroth. Joe Buck, who isn’t a member but was taking it all in, was there as well.

Tiger was greeted with cheers and applause on the first tee, with the hole lined with several layers of patrons all the way to the green. He hit his tee shot a little to the right and behind a bunker. The round had begun.

“Now driving, Tiger Woods!”

Who’d of thought it? Wearing a fuschia shirt and black pants, Tiger Woods teed off on the first hole at the Masters at 8:04 a.m. PDT Thursday.

He swung, he grimaced — likely because of the result rather than from pain — and watched the golf ball travel 264 yards, coming to rest a few yards in front of the hilly course’s first bunker.

His second shot on the par 4 hole traveled 175 yards to the front of the green and rolled off, about 100 feet from the pin. Woods chipped to within 11 feet and calmly rolled in his putt to save par.

On to the second hole. . .

AUGUSTA, Ga. — Twenty-five years after the most dominating win in the history of the Masters, Tiger Woods has pulled off an even more unbelievable victory.

He’s playing this week.

In a development that would have been inconceivable a year ago, when he was in the early stages of recovery from a rollover car accident that nearly cost him his right leg, Woods is competing for a record-tying sixth green jacket.

“I think the fact that I was able to get myself here to this point is a success,” said Woods, 46, who Thursday will tee off on the No. 1 hole at 8:04 a.m. PDT. “Now that I’m playing, now that everything is focused on how do I get myself in the position where I’m on that back nine Sunday with a chance? Just like I did a few years ago.”

Woods believes his biggest test will be walking the undulating course, soaked by sometimes torrential rains during the last two days. Play was suspended Tuesday and Wednesday because of thunderstorms, cutting short practice rounds.

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AUGUSTA, Ga. — The forecast Tuesday calls for rain at Augusta National as players continue their practice rounds in preparation for Thursday’s start of the Masters.

But the skies cleared on the big question of the week: Will Tiger Woods play?

His stunning answer:

“As of right now I feel like I am going to play. I’m going to play nine more [practice] holes [Wednesday]. My recovery has been good.”

Fewer than 14 months removed from a devastating rollover car accident that nearly cost him his right leg — and his life — Woods has made an incredible recovery, and Monday drew enormous crowds when he played the front nine with Fred Couples and Justin Thomas.

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AUGUSTA, Ga. — The Masters is old hat.

Old hat, yellowed scorecard, weathered press badge, vintage program ... CJ Reading is looking for any of those. If they happen to be autographed by a famous golfer, all the better.

It’s a bustling business for Reading, selling Augusta National memorabilia out of Trends & Traditions Antique Mall just down Washington Boulevard from the world’s most exclusive golf course. The onetime chain restaurant chef, as with others in the area, now turns all things Masters into green.

“People are just dying to go,” said Reading, who got the nickname “Crazy Johnny” in high school, hence CJ. “It’s like if you score a Rolling Stones ticket and you’re a music fan.”

You can’t always get what you want. Only a small percentage of people who enter the annual Masters ticket lottery actually win, so people such as Reading are there to soften the blow.

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The most improbable of sports comebacks is underway.

Tiger Woods, fewer than 14 months removed from a catastrophic car accident that threatened his ability to walk, confirmed Tuesday that he intends to play in the Masters this week in pursuit of his sixth green jacket.

“As of right now I feel like I am going to play,” he said. “I’m going to play nine more [practice] holes [Wednesday]. My recovery has been good.”

The news followed half a practice round by Woods on Monday during which he drew a gallery of thousands that was at least five layers deep from tee to green.

Here is a photo gallery of Woods’ practice round Monday and interaction with fans:

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AUGUSTA, Ga. — The most improbable of sports comebacks is underway.

Tiger Woods, less than 14 months removed from a catastrophic car accident that threatened his ability to walk, confirmed Tuesday that he intends to play in the Masters this week in pursuit of his sixth green jacket.

“As of right now I feel like I am going to play,” he said. “I’m going to play nine more [practice] holes [Wednesday]. My recovery has been good.”

The news followed half a practice round by Woods on Monday, during which he drew a gallery of thousands that was at least five layers deep from tee to green.

“It’s been a tough, tough year and lot of stuff that I had to deal with that I don’t wish on anyone,” he said, “but here we are at Masters week.”

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ESPN will air portions of the first two rounds Thursday and Friday — and won’t go on the air until Tiger Woods’ rounds are completed — then CBS takes over on the weekend with equally limited coverage. There are, however, online streaming options.

TV COVERAGE

Thursday, April 7: Noon-4:30 p.m. PDT (ESPN)

Friday, April 8: Noon-4:30 p.m. PDT (ESPN)

Saturday, April 9: Noon-4 p.m. PDT (CBS)

Sunday, April 10: 11 a.m.-4 p.m. PDT (CBS)

STREAMING

Free on CBSSports.com, CBS Sports App

Shane Bacon, Colt Knost and Billy Kratzert begin coverage of the Thursday morning rounds with “Featured Groups.” Brian Crowell and Michael Breed will be the announcers for live streaming coverage of select golfers throughout their entire round each day.

Grant Boone and Mark Immelman will be the announcers for live streaming coverage of the 11th, 12th and 13th holes from the Amen Corner and Luke Elvy and Ned Michaels will provide analysis from the 15th and 16th holes.

CBS Sports HQ, the free 24/7 streaming sports news network, will feature live updates and reports on the leaderboard.