Tiger Woods fails to banish putting woes in season opener

New season, slightly different story for Tiger Woods, who began the long slog back to his former heights yesterday with a radically different, and radically improved, swing but depressingly familiar putting woes on the opening day of Farmers Insurance Open in San Diego. The former world No1 – now world No3 – shot an opening-round 69, three-under par, around Torrey Pines' North Course to leave himself in a tie for 15th place, five shots behind the South Korean Sunghoon Kang and three shots behind a group of five players, including the US Ryder Cup star Rickie Fowler. Woods's round featured three birdies and, impressively, no bogies. "I played all right. The fairways were really narrow, so it was tough out there,'' he said. If that sounded downbeat, in stark contrast to Woods's confidence earlier in the week when talking up his chances, then it was probably down to his failure on the greens. Time and again he left himself birdie chances but failed to convert – a familiar story since his return last April. Yet Woods had much to be satisfied about as well, not least the golf swing he has re-modelled under the tutelage of his coach Sean Foley. In the depths of a miserable summer, in the aftermath of his separation from his former coach Hank Haney, the 14-time major champion played some of the worst golf of his career, missing fairways with wild abandon and even, on occasion, missing cuts. There were hints that his partnership with Foley was bearing fruit at the Chevron World Challenge last month, when he finished second to Graeme McDowell, and yesterday's performance provided further evidence of that. With a swing that looked both tighter and more controlled, Woods began his day on the North Course with two pars before hitting a beautiful tee shot at the par-three, 214-yard 12th – his third hole of the day – to within three feet for a birdie. He added further birdies at the par-four second hole and at the par-three 6th. Time and again, however, Woods would find the greens in regulation, only to fall victim to a putting stroke that became such an unwelcome element of his game during a winless 2010. "I just didn't leave myself in the right position on the green. I was always above the hole, or left myself with a big break. I just didn't give myself good chances,'' he said. Self-delusion or the simple truth? Woods will have a chance to provide the answer when he plays his second round on the South Course, scene of his 2008 US Open victory when, playing with a broken leg, he beat Rocco Mediate in a play-off.