Tiger Woods looks down after hitting a poor tee shot that would lead to a double bogey on the first hole Thursday. (Scott Strazzante/Tribune) More photos from Thursday's opening roundBy Teddy Greenstein
Cog Hill yielded plenty of low scores Thursday, including a 64 by Matt Kuchar, a 67 by Retief Goosen and a back-nine 29 (65 total) by Ryan Moore, which broke a Cog Hill record.
But Tiger Woods failed to make a birdie in his first nine holes, settling for a 3-over 38.
He began with a double-bogey on No. 1, the result of a pushed 3-wood off the tee that left him 218 yards from the right rough. He put that in the front-left bunker, blasted short of the green and then missed a four-footer for bogey.
His closing hole at the front nine was equally frustrating. Woods bombed it 345 yards off the tee and blasted a 260-yard approach that hit the green and kicked off the grandstand behind the hole. A decent pitch left him 3 ½ feet, but he pushed his birdie putt.
Woods recovered quickly, though, making birdies on Nos. 10, 11 and 14. But he bogeyed 18 and finished 2-over par.
Woods has won at Cog Hill five times in his career and finished second twice. First as a scrawny 21-year-old who hit it a mile.
That was at the Western Open in 1997, the first time he claimed PGA Tour
Player of the Year Honors.
He won again in 1999 and then during a swing change in 2003.
The Western Open became the BMW Championship in 2007, but that didn't matter to Woods, who shattered the tournament scoring record with 22-under par.
Cog Hill officials unveiled Rees Jones' renovation for the 2009 BMW and -- you guessed it -- Woods won again. At a buff 33 years of age, he blitzed the field by eight shots, seizing control after a third-round 62.
So even though he has not won this year, Woods entered this week as a strong favorite, 5-to-1 at bodog.com. (Steve Stricker is second at 12-to-1.)
Right now, though, a good bet would be Kuchar, who fired a 7-under par 64. After starting on No. 10, Kuchar birdied 12 and 16 and eagled the par-5 15th.
Moore played the final eight holes in 7-under to finish with a six-under 65, which had him in second place. His 29 on the back nine was a tournament record for the Dubsdread course.
Moore, looking dapper in a tie and sweater, birdied his final five holes.
"I certainly wasn't expecting to do that," Moore said. "I just got a little positive momentum and was able to hit some good iron shots and make some putts."
Winfield native Kevin Streelman, playing before hundreds of fans, made six back-nine birides to help offset two double-bogeys on the front nine. He shot an even-par 71.
"A tale of two nines," Streelman said. "I'm very proud of that round."
He won again in 1999 and then during a swing change in 2003.
The Western Open became the BMW Championship in 2007, but that didn't matter to Woods, who shattered the tournament scoring record with 22-under par.
Cog Hill officials unveiled Rees Jones' renovation for the 2009 BMW and -- you guessed it -- Woods won again. At a buff 33 years of age, he blitzed the field by eight shots, seizing control after a third-round 62.
So even though he has not won this year, Woods entered this week as a strong favorite, 5-to-1 at bodog.com. (Steve Stricker is second at 12-to-1.)
Right now, though, a good bet would be Kuchar, who fired a 7-under par 64. After starting on No. 10, Kuchar birdied 12 and 16 and eagled the par-5 15th.
Moore played the final eight holes in 7-under to finish with a six-under 65, which had him in second place. His 29 on the back nine was a tournament record for the Dubsdread course.
Moore, looking dapper in a tie and sweater, birdied his final five holes.
"I certainly wasn't expecting to do that," Moore said. "I just got a little positive momentum and was able to hit some good iron shots and make some putts."
Winfield native Kevin Streelman, playing before hundreds of fans, made six back-nine birides to help offset two double-bogeys on the front nine. He shot an even-par 71.
"A tale of two nines," Streelman said. "I'm very proud of that round."
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