Friday 30 November 2018 22:44, UK
Patrick Reed and Patrick Cantlay ended the opening day of the Hero World Challenge tied for the lead as tournament host Tiger Woods slipped eight shots off the pace in the Bahamas.
The two Patricks both made light of the blustery conditions at Albany to fire seven-under 65s, with Cantlay enjoying a superb closing stretch as he birdied five of the last six holes.
The consistent Cantlay, who missed the cut only twice in 22 stroke play events in 2018, also made back-to-back birdies on the front nine and was the only player in the elite 18-man field to hand in a bogey-free card.
But he was denied the outright lead by Masters champion Reed, who holed a 20-foot putt on the final green for his eighth birdie of the day, and his third over the last five holes to enhance his bid for a first victory since his maiden major triumph at Augusta National in April.
The leading pair will sleep on a three-stroke advantage over the field, with the chasing pack being led by Henrik Stenson and Dustin Johnson after the Ryder Cup rivals opened with solid 68s.
Bubba Watson, the 2015 champion with a record-equalling score of 26 under par, got to within two of the lead when he followed an outward 32 with his fifth birdie of the round at the 11th.
But the left-hander then made a big error at the penultimate hole when he carved a seven-iron into the water and ran up a double-bogey five, and a par at the last saw him close on three under alongside Sweden's Alex Noren.
Local resident Justin Rose produced one of the shots of the day, an outstanding fairway-wood that came within inches of finding the hole for an albatross at the long 11th, although the resulting tap-in for eagle was offset by a double-bogey at the next hole.
Rose clawed one shot back at the 14th and parred home to stay at two under with Justin Thomas and Bryson DeChambeau, who did not record a par until the eighth hole of his entertaining 70.
DeChambeau carded four birdies, two bogeys and one double-bogey over the first seven, but the world No 5 steadied himself for the remainder of the day and further birdies at 11 and 16 got him back into red numbers.
But Woods was one of only three players over par after 18 holes despite missing only one fairway from the tee, his erratic iron game leaving him with plenty to work on if he is to haul himself back into contention for his sixth win in the event, and his first since 2011.
The 42-year-old, who was ranked 1,199th in the world when he arrived at Albany 12 months ago, battled back from two early bogeys with back-to-back birdies at the sixth and seventh.
Woods then enjoyed a slice of luck at the short 12th when his tee shot nestled in the fringe just a couple of feet from the hazard on the left, but his chip did not make the putting surface and rolled back down the slope and into the water - a mistake which led to a triple-bogey six.
The host hit back with a birdie at 15 before finishing with a flourish, knocking a delightful eight-iron to two feet to set up a closing birdie at the last which salvaged a 73, while 2016 winner Hideki Matsuyama props up the field on two over despite the Japanese ace making birdies at four of the last five holes.
