Woods opens season with 67, lags by 2 shots

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Tiger Woods delivered the score he expected in his 2008 debut, just not the game.

Despite playing from the sand, rough and behind a few trees early in his round, Woods began a much-anticipated season Thursday with a 5-under 67 on the tougher South Course at Torrey Pines. That left him two shots behind Troy Matteson, and gave him a strong presence on the leader board as he goes for his fourth straight title in the Buick Invitational.

“It wasn’t pretty off the tee, but I hung in there,” Woods said. “Shooting 67 is always going to feel pretty good on the South Course.”

Imagine how it felt for Matteson.

He ran off five birdies in a six-hole stretch on the back nine, then finished his round with consecutive birdies to become the first player since Davis Love III in 2000 to have the first-round lead while playing the South.

“I won’t top that for awhile,” Matteson said.

Brad Adamonis had a 66 on the North Course, which is 600 yards shorter and played more than two strokes easier.

Rory Sabbatini, Stuart Appleby and Kevin Streelman, who began the day as the third alternate, were in the group at 67 with Woods. They all played on the North, which is where Matteson and Woods play on Friday.

Phil Mickelson opened his season with a 70 on the North.

Matteson was 11 shots better than his last trip around the South Course. That was the final round a year ago, when he played alongside Woods and watched the world’s No. 1 player turn an ordinary round into a winner.

Maybe someone of that rubbed off on Matteson.

“That’s an experience that any player would remember,” Matteson said. “Anytime you get paired with Tiger, it’s very interesting from a crowd standpoint, from a what-he-does standpoint. It’s just pretty neat to see the guy shoot 66 on Sunday to win.”

Woods, who hasn’t played since winning his Target World Challenge by seven shots on Dec. 16, wasn’t the only person returning to work.