Tiger Woods began a much-anticipated season with a first round 5-under 67 on the tougher South Course at Torrey Pines, two shots behind Troy Matteson, 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."
As for Troy Matteson, he ran off five birdies in six holes 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.
Rory Sabbatini, Stuart Appleby and Kevin Streelman, were in the group at 67 with Tiger Woods. They all played on the North, which is where Matteson and Woods play on Friday.
Phil Mickelson shot 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.
"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 put his name at the top of the leaderboard with a chip-and-putt birdie on the par-5 13th, his name right below Rory Sabbatini's.
The two of them have not spoken since Sabbatini withdrew from the final round of the Target for what his agent described as shin splints, pocketing $170,000. Woods said the South African has never called to explain what happened.
Sabbatini was asked to describe his relationship with Woods.
"As far as I understand, there's no animosity," he said. "We're both competitors and we both want to win."
But as he walked out of the interview tent, with Woods waiting to enter, Sabbatini kept his eyes glued to the ground and Woods made no effort to speak to him.
The way the start of this season has gone, it wouldn't be surprising to seem them paired together at the weekend.
