ATLANTA — In the one week Tiger Woods had away from golf during the FedEx Cup playoffs, Nick Faldo said he had lost his aura, Greg Norman said he was intimidated by Rory McIlroy and Johnny Miller claimed that Woods once wanted lessons from him.
“Nice week, huh?" Woods said, grinning.
Even better was to be back on the course Thursday at the Tour Championship, where Woods had the final word for at least one day. He kept the ball in play at East Lake, chipped in for one of his six birdies and wound up with a 4-under 66 for a share of the lead with Justin Rose.
It was the first step toward what Woods hopes is a third FedEx Cup title, and another $10 million bonus.
“I probably could have gotten a couple more out of it," Woods said about his opening round. “But I was probably right on my number."
McIlroy, playing with Woods for the fifth time in these FedEx Cup playoffs, got up-and-down from short of the par-3 18th hole for a 69. McIlroy is trying to become the first player since Woods in 2006 to win three straight PGA Tour events in the same season, and he wasn’t overly alarmed by his start.
“Wish I could have shot a couple shots better," McIlroy said. “But I’m in a good position going into tomorrow."
The week began with Norman saying that Woods was intimidated by McIlroy, a suggestion that both players found amusing. While it’s doubtful that inspired Woods, he played as if he wasn’t ready to let McIlroy win a third straight playoff event and capture the FedEx Cup.
McIlroy, who has won three of his past four tournaments, and Woods are among the top five seeds at East Lake who only have to win the Tour Championship to claim the largest payoff in golf. Woods wasn’t interested in what anyone else was doing.
“Just winning," he said. “Winning takes care of everything."
Jack Nicklaus even weighed in on Norman’s comments to FoxSports.com. Nicklaus was doing a radio interview with ESPN 980 in Washington when told about Norman’s remarks that McIlroy intimidated Woods. Nicklaus said playfully, “Quiet, Greg. Quiet. Down, boy."
“I think Tiger has a lot of wins left in him," Nicklaus said. “He does have a lot more competition. During the couple of years when Tiger wasn’t really there, all of a sudden you have Rory McIlroy, Keegan Bradley and I could probably name a half-dozen other guys that have all won and learned how to win in Tiger’s absence. They’re not scared of him anymore."
Rose, who hasn’t won since the World Golf Championship at Doral in March, swiftly moved up the leaderboard late in his round with three birdies over the last five holes, and the last one was memorable. From the back of the green on the par-3 18th, Rose faced a 50-foot putt with some 20 feet of break from right to left. It looked wide the whole way until it snapped back toward the cup.
Equally impressive was chipping in from some 20 yards short of the 14th green for the birdie that started his big run.
Scott Piercy ran off three straight birdies late in his round until he stumbled in the rough behind the 18th green and finished with a double bogey for a 67, tied with Steve Stricker, Matt Kuchar and Bo Van Pelt. Stricker was the only player in the 30-man field without a bogey.
Hunter Mahan appeared to snap out of his funk from missing out on the Ryder Cup with a 68, tied with a group that included Brandt Snedeker, who is among the top five seeds. The others are Phil Mickelson, who opened with a 69, and Nick Watney, who brought up the rear with a 75.
Also on Thursday:
Teen Thompson fires 63 to lead on LPGA Tour
PRATTVILLE, Ala. — Lexi Thompson made a little more history in the Navistar LPGA Classic, opening her title defense with a career-best 9-under 63 to match the tournament record. Last year, Thompson became the youngest champion in LPGA Tour history at age 16, winning by five strokes. Fifteen-year-old amateur Lydia Ko broke the record last month in the Canadian Women’s Open. Lizette Salas and Hee Young Park were tied for second at 65.
