SportsPulse: Masters week is upon us and everyone is asking the same question: Can Tiger actually win? Our Nancy Armour breaks down Tiger's chances and who appears to be primed to stand in his way. USA TODAY Sports
For the first time in years, Tiger Woods is a legitimate contender heading into the Masters.
Woods, who last competed at Augusta in 2015, is set to tee off at 10:42 a.m. ET with Marc Leishman and Tommy Fleetwood. He's looking to pick up his fifth green jacket.
Keep up with all of the Tiger highlights as USA TODAY Sports tracks his performance throughout the day.
Final thoughts on Tiger
Could have been better, but could have been a whole lot worse. Historically, Tiger has made most of his Masters headway on the par 5's, and was unable to do so today. Bearing that in mind, it was a pretty decent day’s work – ending at 1-over.
His face didn’t give much away as he pulled off his cap and offered some kind words to Leishman and Fleetwood at the end of the round, but he is still in with a shot after an up-and-down first day. Some improved accuracy, and a bit of luck on Friday, could set him up nicely for a weekend charge.
After the round, Tiger acknowledged his opportunities and that he played the par 5's "sloppily" and that he "didn't score as well as he played."
True.
Hole 18 - Holly, Par 4
Pure off the tee, right down the middle for Tiger. Just like on No. 17, his approach went a little long, hanging up on the fringe at the back of the green.
His birdie putt from the fringe didn't have enough juice and rolled inches form the hole, leading to another tap-in par, giving Tiger a 1-over 73 for his first round at Augusta National since 2015.
In other news, Sergio Garcia's quest to defend his Masters title got a little wet when he carded a 13 on the par 5 15th. That's the highest score on that hole in Masters history. He did bounce back and birdie No. 16, though.
Hole 17 - Nandina, Par 4
Swing. Pose. Club twirl.
Tiger's drive on 17 was right on the money. Sitting at 1-over and just five strokes off the lead, this little bit of momentum could be exactly what Tiger needs. His second shot almost missed the back of the green but checked up on the fringe for another look at birdie.
Another put with great pace, just not on-line. Tap-in bar, still at 1-over.
Hole 16 - Redbud, Par 3
Tiger's tee shot landed safely on the green and proceeded to pick up some heavy speed and roll closer to the hole for a makeable uphill birdie putt. Usually good at keeping his emotions in check, the 14-time major champion let out a bit of a smirk when he heard the gallery applaud. Playing partner Tommy Fleetwood let out a laugh, as well.
Leishman's putt should have given Tiger an idea about the line, and he took advantage, sinking the birdie putt to move to 1-over par. Chirp, chirp.
Fond memories run deep. Of all places for Tiger to pull out something uplifting, it was the 16th. The roars weren’t as loud as on that fateful day in 2005, but rolling in a birdie putt on the par 3 was incredibly welcome. If he can finish strongly this can legitimately go down as a solid day, despite all the tricky struggles earlier in the round.
After dropping a stroke, Henrik Stenson is now tied for the lead at 3-under with Charley Hoffman and Adam Hadwin.
Hole 15 - Firethorn, Par 5
Uh oh. Another miss to the right for Tiger off the tee. He avoided landing in the pine straw, but his lie in the rough won't be great, and his angle to the hole won't be too great either. Survey says: lay up in the fairway (most likely).
After missing right most of the day, Tiger's second shot went left, way left, leaving another tricky approach. The ball lands on the back of the green, leaving another lengthy par put on a par 5. Two putts later, Tiger's in with another 5, remaining at 2-over.
It must be a slightly odd feeling for Tiger to have Leishman playing well alongside him. The Australian is no-nonsense, going about his business with a minimum of fuss, despite dropping two strokes on No. 15. Tiger has, for the most part, been keeping his emotions in check, but he must be frustrated with how inconsistent his opening round has been – especially on the par 5's.
Hole 14 - Chinese Fir, Par 4
Perfect execution off the tee and a useful second shot gives Tiger a shot to make a dent in his struggling score on No. 14.
Tiger's knowledge of the course was evident here, hitting his spots en route to a birdie he so desperately needed. 2-over par isn't what Tiger was expecting, but he's trending in the right direction now with a par 5 awaiting.
Hole 13 - Azalea, Par 5
Tiger's played Azalea 48-under par in his Masters career, and will need to get to 49 or 50 to keep his round in check.
Another miss to the right off the tee with a 3-wood for Tiger, but it's not in too bad of shape. Playing off the pine straw, another shot goes sailing into the patrons, just like on No. 11. His third shot lands just passed the whole but checks up for a solid look at birdie, one he desperately needs.
Once again, an opportunity was squandered on a par 5. Woods putt had the right pace but just missed the hole, and he remains at 3-over.
Just when Henrik Stenson joined Leishman atop the leaderboard at 3-under, Leishman birdied No. 13 to take sole control at 4-under.
Oh, and remember how Tony Finau's Masters was almost cut short after an ankle injury celebrating his hole-in-one at the Par 3 Contest? He's got two birdies through his first four holes.
Hole 12 - Golden Bell, Par 3
One of the most-recognized and picturesque holes at Augusta National, No. 12 is no easy hole. Water and a front bunker guard the green, as do two bunkers at the back.
Tiger avoided the trouble behind the green, but found the water with his tee shot. Historically, Tiger's played Golden Bell 8-over par.
After taking a drop, Tiger's third shot landed in the rough and never released fully onto the green, leaving for a difficult look for par with double-bogey almost assured.
But Tiger Woods did Tiger Woods things, sinking the putt to avoid a catastrophic hole. That said, another bogey drops Tiger to 3-over on the day.
Amen Corner 2, Tiger 0.
He won’t enjoy being three-over, but No. 12 could have been a whole lot worse. Could this bogey-save be the spark to generate a bit of momentum? Tiger skulks off towards No. 13, one of his favorite holes, with a sense of purpose – and some big opportunities ahead.
Hole 11 - White Dogwood, Par 4
Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Amen Corner.
Tiger's first real miss with the driver comes at No. 11. He knew it was right as soon as he hit it, and begged for it to keep going right to avoid landing in the cluster of trees.
He got lucky, as his ball continued to fly right, leaving a shot at the green. His lie isn't great. The ball nestled in some worn-down rough grass from patrons walking the course. After clearing the crowds, woods hit another low-flying stinger directly into the gallery of fans. Playing to the crowd is a good thing, playing into the crowd is not, as a pair of patrons collect some bruises to take home as a souvenir.
Forced to make a strong recovery, Tiger went for the pin, but has 10-plus foot putt to avoid dropping another shot. He had the right line but wrong speed, so his wayward first two shots on No. 11 lead Tiger to bogey and drop to 2-over par.
Amen Corner 1, Tiger 0. After a respectable start, he's now in danger of a disappointing and unfulfilling day on his return to the Masters.
Phil Mickelson is now on the course, and cards a birdie on No. 1. Leishman still leads the pack at 3-under, followed by Vijay Singh, Bernd Wiesberger, Henrik Stenson, Patrick Reed and Charley Hoffman at 2-under.
Hole 10 - Camellia, Par 4
Baba booey! Mashed potatoes! Dilly dilly! Tiger hit a great tee shot to start his back nine, which is promising. His driver has been consistently strong so far today.
Tiger's enjoying a mid-round snack as he strides down 10 with much to contemplate. Looks like one of his favorite peanut butter/banana sandwiches, for those who were wondering. Playing partners Marc Leishman and Tommy Fleetwood continue to be superb and solid, in that order, while Tiger will be looking forward to the par five opportunities on the back nine as a way of making progress.
His second shot just barely missed the green-side bunker, and Tiger will have yet another up-and-down par opportunity. Tiger's touch around the green is unrivaled. His chip rolls 3 feet short of the hole, leaving another clean up tap-in for par. He's still at 1-over par.
While the old men are playing well early, check this out from Masters rookie Satoshi Kodaira.
Thoughts at the turn
1-over par doesn't look great, but considering the leaders are only at 3-under, it's not all bad for Tiger so far. He's left a few birdies on the front nine, and hasn't taken advantage of the par 5's the way we've grown accustomed to seeing, but he looks comfortable.
Playing in his first Masters in three years, it may take Tiger a few more holes to get in rhythm. He knows the course better than most, so don't be surprised if we see some leaderboard movement on the back nine.
Hole 9 - Carolina Cherry, Par 4
Another driver hole for Tiger, who was imploring his ball to "get lucky" and avoid the trees after his tee shot was leaning left. It was another solid swing, but slightly-pulled to the first cut rough left of the fairway.
Tiger's second shot landed on the green, leaving a hard breaking putt from right-to-left that came up short, leaving once again, a tap-in par.
Woods cards a 1-over 37 on the front nine, currently tied for 21st in his return to Augusta National.
The throng of supporters following Woods are itching for a reason to erupt, but with the exception of the birdie at 3, Tiger hasn’t quite been able to deliver so far. Playing partner Leishman is playing lights out and is tied for the lead with Singh, but the noise heard for his efforts will be dwarfed by the reaction if Woods starts heating up.
Hole 8 - Yellow Jasmine, Par 5
Tiger's been crushing his driver so far, and that trend continued on No. 8. In his practice round Tuesday with Phil Mickelson - yes, that happened - Tiger eagled two par 5's. If he's going to have any shot at going low this week, he'll need to take advantage of his length off the tee.
With 266 yards to reach the narrow green, Woods pulled an iron and hit a right-to-left moving stinger that missed the green. All three players in the group will have an up-and-down shot at birdie.
Tiger's chip got away from him a bit, leaving for a difficult look at birdie. Stop us if you've heard this one before, but he scooted the birdie putt past the hole, leaving a look at par that he calmly buried to remain at 1-over par.
It’s turning into a bit of a conflicted day for Woods. There was the hint of a smile when he thumped it down the 8th fairway to set himself up nicely on one of his favored par fives. By the time he putted out to save par after some struggles around the green, however, the expression was more of a concerned scowl. He’s playing well enough to be creating chances, but he needs to start making the most of them.
Hole 7 - Pampas, Par 4
Woods went back to the driver on No. 7, catching the fairway slope and setting up a good look at the green.
"Is that long?" Tiger asked his caddie of his approach shot. Yup, it was, leaving a long look at birdie. The hole is placed at the front of the green, guarded by bunkers, making Tiger's shot a safe one.
You can tell Tiger's won here four times, because despite not playing at Augusta National since 2015, his pace on putts is impeccable. He had a great look at birdie, but just missed, leaving yet another tap-in par to remain at 1-over.
Playing partner Leishman still leads at 3-under, followed by six players tied for second at 1-under, including Vijay Singh, Henrik Stenson and Patrick Reed.
Hole 6 - Juniper, Par 3
Well, how about that for a signal of intent? The sixth is one of the most crowd-friendly holes on the course, with the patrons providing a constant outline down the fairway and around the green to frame the hole. Tiger abandons the cautious approach of Leishman and Fleetwood, who avoided going for the back pin-placement, going straight at the pin to give himself a birdie chance.
Think he’s missed the galleries? Did you really think he hadn’t? This one got them excited, but only for the bravado. The outcome, thanks to another narrowly missed putt – par. Tiger remains at 1-over par.
Hole 5 - Magnolia, Par 4
Trouble off the tee on No. 5 for Tiger as his 3-wood drive flirted with a fairway bunker. In the bunker or not, he'll have a relatively-blind shot at the green.
The shot did find the bunker, but his recovery landed on the front of the green, leaving a long, undulation-filled putt for birdie. Woods gave it a ride but missed long, leaving a par putt that's far from easy.
He took a long look at the putt, but it came up just short and left, leaving for a tap in bogey for the second-straight hole, dropping Woods to 1-over par.
Being one-over puts Woods in some pretty solid company - including former champions Sandy Lyle and Jose Maria Olazabal - and is hardly a disaster at this early stage. His putter needs to warm-up if his round is going to gather some steam.
Hole 4 - Flowering Crab Apple, Par 3
Judging by Tiger's reaction off the tee, you'd think he was happy with his shot. Nope. It came up short of the green and landed in a bunker. His recovery shot was good, but great, leaving a lengthy putt to save par that went a tad-bit long.
Woods tapped-in for bogey, moving back to even par.
The fourth is his most hated hole at Augusta, having now played it at a combined 17-over as a pro. Compared to some of the other struggles around the course, he’s holding things together pretty well.
Leishman remained the solo-leader early at 2-under par with a great save at No. 4 after Singh bogeyed No.'s 6 and 7.
Meanwhile, Matt Parziale, an amateur who is also a full-time firefighter, was 5-over through 10 holes. He played a practice round with Woods, his childhood idol, and Fred Couples on Wednesday. He's one of six amateurs in the field.
Hole 3 - Flowering Peach, Par 4
To quote the movie Tin Cup, Woods is letting the big dog eat early at Augusta! A body language expert could tell you more about Woods’ reaction to his tee shot on 3, but it certainly looked pretty positive. Tiger twizzled his driver in his hands, bounced down to pick up his tee and allowed himself a self-satisfied nod. He smashed another great drive off the tee, leaving a great chance to earn a birdie early in the round. His chip sped past the hole but checked up, leaving a makeable put for birdie.
Cue the first Tiger roar of the week! Woods birdie putt slowly crawled to the bottom of the hole, moving him to 1-under par through three holes.
So far, so good. Historically, the first round at Augusta has been the least kind to Woods, with a shot average of a touch over 72 (even par).
Still in the lead (but not alone), Singh bogeyed No. 5, dropping to 2-under par. Leishman sunk his birdie putt on No. 3 to join Singh atop the leaderboard.
Hole 2 - Pink Dogwood, Par 5
After going with a fairway wood on No. 1, he pulled out the driver on No. 2 and hit a beautiful shot in the middle of the fairway. Woods flared his approach shot to the right green-side bunker, but still has a chance to get up and down for birdie, or two-putt to save par. His bunker shot left him a difficult down-hill putt that lagged just past the cup, leaving an easy tap-in par. Woods is even through two holes.
Singh still stands tall above the leaderboard at 3-under, followed by O'Meara and Woods' playing partner Leishman at 1-under par.
Hole 1 - Tea Olive, Par 4
Woods was nothing but composed as he strode to the first tee box, dressed in all-black like the great Gary Player, to begin his 10.42 a.m ET group alongside Marc Leishman and Tommy Fleetwood. But his opening shot brought a pained expression, pulling his effort into the foliage on the left and leaving himself with a difficult escape route. His recovery shot came up just short of the green, and the ensuing birdie putt rolled up next to the cup. He'd tap-in for par on the opening hole.
Tiger has some familiar names to chase, with his old rivals Vijay Singh and Mark O’Meara topping the leaderboard at this very early stage. Singh is 55, O’Meara 61. Singh, who last won at Augusta in 2000 and hasn't made the cut the last two years, is at the top of the leaderboard after birdieing three of his first four holes. Ranked 510 in the world, Singh has 34 PGA Tour wins, the last coming in 2008. Born in Fiji but now residing in Ponte Vedra Beach Fla., Singh also has two Champions Tour wins.
xx
Thursday's first-round tee times
8:15 AM -- Gary Player (Honorary Starter), Jack Nicklaus (Honorary Starter)
8:30 AM -- Austin Cook, Ted Potter, Jr., Wesley Bryan
8:41 AM -- Ian Woosnam (Wales), Ryan Moore, Jhonattan Vegas (Venezuela)
8:52 AM -- Mike Weir (Canada), Brendan Steele, *Matt Parziale
9:03 AM -- Jose Maria Olazabal (Spain), Kevin Chappell, Dylan Frittelli (South Africa)
9:14 AM -- Bryson DeChambeau, Bernd Wiesberger (Austria), Matthew Fitzpatrick (England)
9:25 AM -- Mark O'Meara, Brian Harman, *Harry Ellis (England)
9:36 AM -- Vijay Singh (Fiji), Satoshi Kodaira (Japan), Daniel Berger
9:47 AM -- Kiradech Aphibarnrat (Thailand), Pat Perez, Francesco Molinari (Italy)
9:58 AM -- Danny Willett (England), Kyle Stanley, Jason Dufner
10:09 AM -- Hideki Matsuyama (Japan), Patton Kizzire, Paul Casey (England)
10:31 AM -- Zach Johnson, Martin Kaymer (Germany), Branden Grace (South Africa)
10:42 AM -- Tiger Woods, Marc Leishman (Australia), Tommy Fleetwood (England)
10:53 AM-- Sergio Garcia (Spain), Justin Thomas, *Doc Redman
11:04 AM -- Bubba Watson, Henrik Stenson (Sweden), Jason Day (Australia)
11:15 AM -- Patrick Reed, Charley Hoffman, Adam Hadwin (Canada)
11:26 AM -- Billy Horschel, Chez Reavie, Cameron Smith (Australia)
11:37 AM -- Sandy Lyle (Scotland), Si Woo Kim (Korea), *Doug Ghim
11:48 AM -- Trevor Immelman (South Africa). Ian Poulter (England), Patrick Cantlay
11:59 AM -- Angel Cabrera (Argentina), Ross Fisher (England), Jimmy Walker
12:10 PM -- Fred Couples, Hao Tong Li (China, *Joaquin Niemann (Chile)
12:32 PM -- Larry Mize, Russell Henley, Shubhankar Sharma (India)
12:43 PM -- Bernhard Langer (Germany), Tony Finau, Yuta Ikeda (Japan)
12:54 PM -- Charl Schwartzel (South Africa), Webb Simpson, *Yuxin Lin (China)
1:05 PM -- Kevin Kisner, Thomas Pieters (Belgium), Xander Schauffele
1:16 PM -- Gary Woodland, Yusaku Miyazato (Japan), Tyrrell Hatton (England)
1:27 PM -- Phil Mickelson, Rickie Fowler, Matt Kuchar
1:38 PM -- Adam Scott (Australia), Rory McIlroy (Northern Ireland), Jon Rahm (Spain)
1:49 PM -- Jordan Spieth, Alex Noren (Sweden), Louis Oosthuizen (South Africa)
2:00 PM -- Justin Rose (England), Dustin Johnson, Rafael Cabrera-Bello (Spain)
Television
ESPN: 3-7:30 p.m. ET
Live action online at Masters.com
MORE FROM AUGUSTA: Tiger will win the Masters because why not?
HE'S BACK: Tiger-mania returns, and his competition is heating it up
TIGER AND PHIL: Woods, Phil Mickelson both say their relationship has changed over time
TEE TIMES: Times for first and second rounds
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