Tiger Woods made his long-awaited return to competition Thursday at the 2024 Masters, and he put forth a vintage performance.
Woods played 13 holes at one under par on Thursday before wrapping up his first round on Friday morning at one over. He bogeyed No. 14 and No. 18 after recording two birdies and a bogey during Thursday’s portion of his opening 18.
It was his first time playing since he withdrew from the Genesis Invitational in February.
The 48-year-old opened the round strong, sinking a birdie putt on the first hole. He had a bit of a stumble with a bogey at No. 4, but he bounced back with another birdie on the eighth. He also impressively saved par on his first four holes on the back nine.
Fans on social media were excited by Woods’ methodical, professional first-round performance given his extensive layoff:
While Woods admitted earlier this week that he is working through lingering issues related to his ankle and leg injuries, he seemed to alleviate concerns with Thursday’s performance.
Woods has the chance to make history this weekend. He’s made the cut at the Masters 23 straight times, which is tied with Gary Player and Fred Couples for the all-time record. He can stand alone if he continues his steady play.