Tiger Woods birdies last three holes for two-under 69 on PGA Tour return at Genesis Invitational | Golf News

Tiger Woods shoots two-under 69 in first competitive tournament since Open Championship in July; 47-year-old birdies last three holes and is five shots behind leaders after day one – watch round two live on Sky Sports Golf from 2.30pm on Friday

​​​​​Tiger Woods birdied his last three holes as he carded a two-under 69 at The Genesis Invitational in his return to competitive action after seven months out.

Woods, 47, is playing in a professional tournament for the first time since last July’s Open Championship at St Andrews.

The 15-time major champion, who also birdied his first and eighth holes, is tied for 27th in California, five shots off the lead held jointly by fellow Americans Max Homa and Kevin Mitchell.

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Watch Woods’ first hole at the Genesis Invitational as he recorded a birdie four

Woods’ playing partner Rory McIlroy is in a share of seventh after shooting a four-under 67 with the third member of that playing group, Justin Thomas, tied for 14th on three-under.

Wood, who mixed five birdies with three bogeys, said afterwards: “I was able to fight back and get it going. It was a nice finish.”

Victory for McIlroy at Riviera would see him replace Scottie Scheffler as world No 1 but outright third place would be enough for McIlroy unless Scheffler finishes in the top 25 or world No 3 Jon Rahm wins the tournament or comes outright second.

Watch round two of the Genesis Invitational live on Sky Sports Golf from 2.30pm on Friday.

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