MARANA, Ariz. – When Brendan Jones approached the first tee at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club yesterday, someone in the packed grand stands yelled: “Lucky draw.”
Everyone chuckled, understanding the humor and the truth in the statement. Poor Brendan Jones; the Aussie never had a chance. Not on this sun-splashed day in the desert; and not against Tiger Woods, who was making the most anticipated sports comeback since Michael Jordan ended his first retirement from the NBA.
With his surgically repaired left knee at full strength and his golf game showing little rust, Woods made a triumphant return to competitive golf, beating Jones, 3 and 2, in the first round of the Accenture World Match Play Championship. He’ll play Tim Clark of South Africa in today’s second round, beginning at 2:02 p.m. (Golf Channel).
Out for eight months following reconstructive surgery to repair a torn ACL after capturing his 14th major championship at the U.S. Open last year, Woods wasted little time showing everyone he’s ready to reclaim his throne as the game’s greatest player. This is how he began his first round of competition in 254 days: birdie, eagle.
“An ideal start,” he said.
He made an easy 5-footer for birdie on the first hole to go 1-up, then landed his second shot from 237 yards at the par-5 second hole 6 feet from the cup for what would have been an easy eagle had Jones not conceded the hole after missing his chance at birdie.
From there, Woods was on cruise control, going 4-up when he drained a delicate 19-footer from just off the green at the par-5 13th. Woods raised his putter high above his head as the downhill putt rolled into the hole, treating the gallery to one of his signature moves that hasn’t been seen since his dramatic victory over Rocco Mediate at Torrey Pines.
“It felt like nothing had changed,” Woods said. “Walking down the fairway, it felt like business as usual. I thought it would take me a little bit longer to get into the rhythm of the round. But I came out as if I had it and it felt good.”
Woods didn’t exactly have his “A” game, making three bogeys on the front nine. But he didn’t need it as Jones, the 64th-ranked player in the 64-man field, never applied any pressure. Jones didn’t make a birdie until the 13th, but wound up losing that hole.
The eight-time winner on the Japan Tour did make a 10-footer for eagle on the drivable par-4 15th hole to extend the match. But his broomstick putter failed him at the par-3 16th when his 20-footer for birdie swept 5-feet past the cup. Woods, who found the bunker off the tee, made a 3-footer for par to halve the hole and win the match.
“I hit the ball well starting out,” Woods said. “I hit a couple of loose irons in the middle part of the round. But other than that, I really hit it pretty good all day.”
Jones, who hadn’t played a competitive round since December and won’t play on the Japan Tour for two months, was satisfied with his performance under the circumstances. “(Losing) 3 and 2 to Tiger Woods, I’m pretty happy with that,” he said.
The most talked about knee in the history of golf caused Woods no problems. He planned on icing and elevating it last night just as a precaution.
“I’m very pleased how it felt all day,” he said. “I thought it would be more stiff on the 15th tee when I had to hit my shot after that long wait. But it felt fine.”