x

LIVE BLOG: Relive Tiger Woods’ opening-round 69 at the Farmers Insurance Open

January 23, 2020

Tiger Woods is making his 2020 debut on the cusp of history. Woods enters the Farmers Insurance Open just one win away from reaching 83 career PGA Tour victories and eclipsing Sam Snead for the most all-time. Tiger’s won seven times at the Farmers and has eight wins at the tournament’s venue, Torrey Pines (his unforgettable 2008 U.S. Open victory being the only outlier).

Follow along live with his round below.

FARMERS VIEWER’S GUIDE

(ALL TIMES EST/REFRESH THE PAGE FOR LATEST UPDATES)

5:26 p.m. – He made it look easy. Nice little pitch up to within four feet and he drains it for a closing birdie. That’ll cap off a tidy opening-round 69. Cat’s game is looking sharp as he begins his 2020 campaign.

5:14 p.m. – At the benefit of a great lie in the left rough, Tiger takes a fairway wood and hammers it in between the bunkers short of the green. He’ll have a great chance for an up-and-down to close with birdie.

5:08 p.m. – He tugs his drive just a bit and finds the left rough. Might still be able to get home in two, but will need a favorable lie.

5:05 p.m. – After blasting out to eight feet, Woods buries the par putt. He didn’t make it easy on himself, but he’ll head to the last two under for the day.

4:58 p.m. – A little bit of a loose shot into the par-3 8th. Looks like it settled in the front left bunker. He’ll have a long bunker shot to a back right hole location.

4:53 p.m. – He leaves it just a bit short and taps in for a par. Remains two under with two holes to play in his opening round of 2020.

4:45 p.m. – It appears Tiger has no interest in taking on this front hole location from the rough. He flies his approach well past the hole and will have a lengthy lag for his birdie attempt.

4:37 p.m. – A bit of an indifferent tee shot off the 7th tee. He doesn’t like it from the start and it settles in the first cut of rough.

4:32 p.m. – He lags it close and cleans up for par. It won’t hurt him, but an opportunity squandered after his drive.

4:24 p.m. – Not great on the distance control with a wedge in is hand. He flies this one well past the hole and will have over 25 feet for birdie.

4:19 p.m. – Woods finds another fairway at No. 6. He’s into a good rhythm here late in the round after a bit of a lull near the turn.

4:17 p.m. – An audible groan from the crowd as Woods’ eagle try slides just left of the hole. It’ll be a tap-in birdie and move him to two under for the round.

4:12 p.m. – From 218 yards, Woods carries his long iron onto the upper tier of the green. He’ll have an excellent look at eagle.

4:03 p.m. – Solid drive on the par-5 5th hole. He finds the left side of the fairway and will look to take advantage of the first of two par-5s coming down the stretch.

3:58 p.m. – Crafty shot by Tiger. He uses a wedge and bounces the ball through the fringe, rolling it up for an easy tap-in par.

3:52 p.m. – Long and left with his approach into No. 4. He tried to fade it to the back right hole location but it never cut enough.

3:49 p.m. – Center of the fairway for Cat off the tee at the 4th hole. He’ll have the green light from that position.

3:45 p.m. – Delicate touch here from Woods. He knocks his chip inside four feet and cleans up for par. Remains at one under on the day.

3:34 p.m. – Not his best effort at the long par-3 3rd hole. His fairway wood misses right of the green and he’ll have to work for his par.

3:32 p.m. – He leaves the putt about two rolls short. Looks as though it would’ve trickled in if he hit it a touch harder.

3:25 p.m. – After finding the fairway, Woods hits a strong shot into the green from over 200 yards out. He’ll have a look at birdie at the long par-4.

3:18 p.m. – Never a doubt. He walks in the birdie and he’s back in red numbers. Just three back of the leaders.

3:12 p.m. – Strong approach into the first. He knocks his pitching wedge inside 10 feet and he’ll have a very makable look at birdie.

3:07 p.m. – That’s more like it. Tiger splits the fairway on No. 1. Will look to get back on track on this front side.

3:02 p.m. – Not great for Cat on 18. Over spins his pitch shot to the back level of the green that comes back down the slope some 30 feet. Has to work for a two-putt bogey. Makes the turn at even par.

2:52 p.m. – Oof. Though he only missed the fairway by a few yards, Woods’ ball settled down in the deep rough. He does well to hack the ball up just short of the green. Scrambling for par here on 18.

2:42 p.m. – Another missed fairway for Woods at 18 to make it three in a row. He tugs this one left and the ball looks to have settled down in the rough.

2:39 p.m. – The drive and ensuing approach don’t hurt Woods. He hits a beautiful pitch to two feet and knocks down the birdie putt to move into the red. One under through eight.

2:27 p.m. – After his drive on the par-5 17th found the rough on the left, Tiger chokes down on a wood and pushes it to the rough right of the green. He’ll have an up-and-down for birdie.

2:16 p.m. – Tiger leaves a slippery birdie putt just short and taps in for par—disappointing after his approach came up so close, but still acceptable given what could’ve easily been a nightmare drive. He’s even-par through seven holes.

2:13 p.m. – A great approach from the rough gives Woods a 15-footer for birdie on 16. Cat is very fortunate the greens are responding quite nicely early in round 1 at Torrey Pines.

2:08 p.m. – Old blogger’s jinx, it appears. Tiger snap-hooks his drive off the 16th tee into the gallery, but is fortunate to have it bounce back inside the ropes and into the rough. Some work to do for Woods on the 400-yard par-4.

2:03 p.m. – Well, he quite didn’t run off the green, but an easy two-putt keeps Cat at even par through six holes.

1:56 p.m. – Shortly after the broadcast advises he “take the 3 and run,” Tiger stabs a tee shot on the par-3 15th roughly 30 feet left of the pin. It seems like he’ll do just that.

1:50 p.m. – The putt slides just past the hole. He’ll have a short one to clean up, but should be a routine par.

1:45 p.m. – Boy, he’s been strong off the tee today. Another approach from in tight on the par-4 14th leaves Woods with 15 feet for birdie.

1:35 p.m. – Birdie time! Tiger drains a 10-footer to bring himself back to even on the day through four.

1:31 p.m. – Three perfect drives, three perfect approaches, and now all three of Rahm, Morikawa and Woods have good looks for birdie on the par-4 13th.

1:21 p.m. – Tiger taps in for par on the 12th after his birdie putt rolls justtttttt outside of the hole. +1 through 3 for Cat.

1:17 p.m. – Another clean tee shot for Tiger on the par-3 12th, but he’s on the wrong side of the green for a makeable birdie.

1:10 p.m. – 2018 Farmers champ Jon Rahm drains a LONG birdie putt on 11 to move to 1 under, while Tiger misses a 10-footer for par to head to 1 over through 2.

1:03 p.m. – In a bizarre moment after another huge drive on the 339-yard 11th, Woods chunks his wedge from less than 100 yards. He’s got work to do to save par on his second hole of the day.

12:57 p.m. – Well, he had no problem getting out of the rough, sticking his chip to five feet, but he pushed his birdie putt. A disappointing par keeps Tiger even through 1.

12:50 p.m. – Woods is visibly upset as his second shot lands deep in the rough off to the right of the green. A tough break after a sublime drive, but he should have a look to get up-and-down for birdie.

12:45 p.m. – Tiger has the new TaylorMade SIM driver in the bag and rips it down the fairway to start on the par-5 10th. And we’re off!