Tiger Woods endured a testing day on the greens at the CIMB Classic on Thursday but his pinpoint long game kept him well in contention just three shots back of first round leader American Troy Matteson.
World number two Woods was exceptional from tee-to-green en route to a five-under-par 66 and a share of seventh place after picking up five shots on the back nine at the PGA Tour-organised 48-man, no cut event in Kuala Lumpur.
However, other than a 20-foot putt on the 10th for birdie, the American was left frustrated as time and again, putts shaved the hole or lipped out.
“Turning at even par I felt like I was getting run over there and I felt like I had to shoot something at least three or four-under on the back nine and I happened to get one more,” Woods told reporters as sweat dripped from him on a humid day in the Malaysian capital.
“What was frustrating was turning in even par and I’m eight back. It is going to take something 20 plus (under) to win the tournament so you got to be aggressive and we got to go get it,” added Woods, who birdied three of his last four holes.
Matteson, twice winner of the PGA Tour’s Fry’s Open, went one better than Woods and birdied the last four holes, including holing his bunker shot on the last, for a sparkling bogey-free eight-under round and a one-shot lead.
“I knew I’d be doing good if I could leave myself seven or eight feet for par and it bounced and slam dunked in the hole,” the world number 156 told reporters of his 63rd shot of the day.