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Danny Lee - Source: Reuters -
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Tiger Woods' British Open hangover continued at the Buick Open on Friday while New Zealand golfer Danny Lee was also well off the pace.
Lee, the 19-year-old rookie professional carded a two-over-par 74 in the opening round of the PGA Tour event at Warwick Hills Golf and Country Club in Grand Blanc, Michigan. That left him in a share of 141st place in the 155-strong field, 11 strokes behind the leader, American Steve Lowery.
Meanwhile, the world number one laboured to an opening round one-under 71 on one of his favourite layouts.
Woods, back in action for the first time since the British Open
where he missed the cut in a major championship for only the second
time as a professional, will have to improve on his first
round effort on Saturay if he is to make the cut.
"I know I've got to play well to make the cut, I've got to play
well to get myself back into contention," Woods told
reporters.
"Guys are only going to continue to go low, this is the way the
golf course is playing it's going to be 20-plus to win the
tournament."
One of his favourite layouts, Warwick Hills would have been the
last places Woods would expect to find trouble.
In eight previous visits the world number one was a combined
137-under par, shares the course record of 61 with Billy Mayfair
and has never finished worse than 11th.
Woods had no trouble identifying his problem area describing the
round as one of the worst putting days of his career.
The 33-year-old American was never able to get a disobedient putter
under control, starting with three-putting from 11-feet for bogey
on the second hole.
A battling Woods looked ready to get his round back on track with a
run of four birdies at seven, 10, 12 and 14 but then missed on a
seven-footer for bogey at 15 and miss-fired on a five-footer for
birdie at 17.
"It was probably one of the worst putting days I've ever had,"
Woods said.
"It's a process. I'm not going to get it back in one day, guys are
going to continue to go low, so I've got to get it back over the
next three days.
"I'm going to have to take advantage of the holes you're suppose to
take advantage of; the par fives, a couple of short par fours,
handle those and sprinkle a few more here-and-there and come up
with the number.
To see leading first round scores CLICK HERE
