Tiger Woods holds his own on tricky return at the Memorial Tournament

Woods signs for one-under 71 in first round after five months out
Tony Finau tops leaderboard with 66 in Ohio

A round of attrition was not exactly what Tiger Woods desired in his return to competitive golf after a five month break but blustery conditions at the Memorial Tournament delivered precisely that. US Open met PGA Tour in Ohio.

A day otherwise notable for a 423-yard Bryson DeChambeau drive looked set to belong to Woods as he raced to two under par inside three holes. Given the 15-times major champion’s lack of tournament play, a subsequent regression was not altogether surprising. “Tiger’s just not sharp,” observed the watching Jack Nicklaus. Still, Woods’s one under par 71 was impressive given the context. A birdie at the 18th sent Woods to the scoring tent with a smile.