Tiger Off to a Good Start at Quicken Loans National

Earlier in the week, Tiger Woods talked about his respite from golf, his vacation with his daughters, how “frustrating” golf had been.

He needed the break after missing the cut at the British Open.

But he also maintained he was closer to playing well than his scores indicated.

“I know how close it feels and I know that I just a need a couple of shots here and there,” he said before the beginning on Thursday of the Quicken Loans National tournament, of which he is the host, in Gainesville, Va.
 
It seemed distant again on Thursday through nine holes, and then the skies parted and there was the old glimpse of brilliance.
 
He played the back nine at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club in 4-under, with four consecutive birdies and five pars to finish at 68, 3-under for the day. That left him five shots behind leaders Retief Goosen and Ryo Ishikawa.
 
“I’ve been playing well, hitting the golf ball well,” Woods said after his round. “Feel like my putting has been good. Just stay patient, just stay with it and it will turn if I stay patient.”

Patience. This from one of the game’s greats, who now ranks 266^th in the world. Apparently anyone can need a little boost in confidence, and sometimes it just has to come from within.

“After that start, it was tough to turn it around, which I did,” Wood said. “I sucked it up and turned it around and posted a good number and, you know, we got the fresh greens tomorrow. Hopefully go out there and post a low one.”

Hopefully. It has been too long since we’ve seen Woods in the hunt on a Sunday.
 
 
Post By: Larry Weisman, a longtime sportswriter for USA TODAY, blogs for Twistity.com. Follow him on Twitter @MrLarryWeisman .