After tough first day, Woods will just keep grinding

Tiger Woods was a little loose with his driver and struggled a bit with his putter Thursday en route to a 73. But though he was kicking himself over the way he scored, he has no plans to change his tactics for the rest of the tournament.

By Dave Shedloski, PGATOUR.com Senior Correspondent

AUGUSTA, Ga. -- Tiger Woods didn't quite call himself names like one of his fellow Masters champions did at the end of a round that went wrong, but he was still audibly kicking himself Thursday after shooting a 1-over-par 73 in the opening round of the 71st Masters.

Battling the harsh and swift conditions with his patented patience and precision, Woods fought to 1 under par, just two off the pace set by Justin Rose and Brett Wetterich, through 16 holes at Augusta National Golf Club. But a pair of bogeys to finish had him admonishing himself.

Unlike Phil Mickelson, who called himself an "idiot" after his meltdown at the 2006 U.S. Open at Winged Foot Golf Club, Woods refrained from overt self-recrimination. But he was on the same general path as the sun began to set over Augusta National.

"I played better than my score indicates," said Woods, the reigning British Open and PGA Champion and a four-time winner of the Masters. "I threw away a good round of golf.

"I'm right there. I battled all day to get back to level par, and then I finish like that," he added. "All I had to do was shoot two pars and I didn't get it done. I'm not happy right now."

Woods, 31, managed to escape the big numbers that sank many contenders Thursday, and after birdies at the 13th and 15th holes, he had offset a bogey at the difficult par-4 seventh. Still, as well as he managed his game, he couldn't seem to get the ball in the hole fast enough. When he sank a 5-foot putt at the 13th for his first birdie of the day, he stuck his index finger in his mouth and then gestured a notch on an imaginary card.

Woods hit 14 of 18 greens in regulation, but his driver led to all three bogeys, including at the home hole where he drove into the trees on the right. He needed 33 putts to finish off the holes, a source of irritation. "I have some things I have to get organized," he said.

He had no plans to change tactics. He is only four shots off the lead as he vies for his third major victory in a row.

"I have to just keep grinding along," he said. "I have to hit greens and make some putts -- same as always."