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It's a startling statement to put forth given that Woods - once the imposingly dominant figure in the sport - broke a 2 ½- -year PGA Tour winless streak as recently as late March with a win at Bay Hill, but it's worth consideration. Instead of suggestions that he was ready to return to excellence (and perhaps even greatness), Woods has returned to ordinary form.

More proof came Thursday when Woods shot a mundane two-over-par 74 in the first round of The Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass to trail co-leaders Ian Poulter and Martin Laird (65s) by nine shots. That's not a deficit, it's a chasm.

Woods is tied for 100th place, and that's despite playing out of a morning tee time when wind was less of a factor than it was for afternoon starters. He failed to qualify for the final two rounds last week at the Wells Fargo, which means he's at risk of missing a cut for a second consecutive tournament for the first time in his 16-year professional career.

He has torn par already in seven circuit aback his win in the Arnold Palmer Invitational, and hasn't gotten into the 60s at all.

A quality sport camera with bicycle handlebar mount and helmet strap ,He's a mess.

"It wasn't the a lot of absolute start," Woods understated. "I just didn't score. I didn't get a lot out of that round. It apparently should accept been one- or two-under par."

Huh?

Woods hit seven fairways, which is the aforementioned amount he missed; he hit nine greens in regulation, which aswell is the aforementioned amount he missed. He had one baboon and three pars on the par-fives, holes he has bedeviled in the past. (At the Arnold Palmer Invitational, he was 12-under on 16 par-fives.)

"You can't affected it about this golf course," Woods said afore the TPC. "You just accept to play well. Period."

So, why affected the explanation?

Woods' botheration is that TPC Sawgrass is a geometric addle - all angles and dictated curve - to be solved, not overpowered. And he lacks the point-to-point accurateness the advance requires. He isn't the aforementioned shot-maker he acclimated to be.

"You accept to hit the brawl well," Woods said. "There's no accepting about it."

Woods struggled from the outset.

He started on the aback side, airtight his aperture drive into the appropriate asperous and his additional attempt into a greenside bunker. He accursed out, and acclimatized for bogey afterwards missing a 6 ½- -foot par putt. It was a augury of what angry into a five-bogey round.