It was a toss of the coin who putted worst – Rory McIlroy or Tiger Woods – in their opening rounds of the rain-affected Genesis Open in suburban L A.
McIlroy, who again played alongside tournament host Woods for a second year running, got the start he wanted holing a 15-footer for birdie at the first and move to two-under par with a birdie on eight.
It would be the highwater mark of McIlroy’s day after three-putting the short uphill ninth for bogey.
Three days earlier McIlroy bet caddy, Harry Diamond he could chip in for birdie from an awkward lie to the left of the ninth green.
McIlroy joked: “If I get this Harry, you buy dinner and we’ll have a nice bottle of 1982 Chateau Latour”.
And the last thing McIlroy needed after misery on the ninth green was a 15-minute wait on the driveable par-4 10th tee.
Both Woods and Justin Thomas birdied the 10th hole but with McIlroy, who was just off the green, managing par.
McIlroy was then in rough left off 11 in taking par, right in rough in taking bogey at 12, and the left again, and behind trees, in then three-putting for bogey on 13.
He pared 14, found a first fairway on the back nine at 15, pared 16, 17 and at the last walked off with a par.
Statistics-wise McIlroy managed to hit just 7 of 14 fairways but officially posted 35 putts and 36 if you could being just off the green left at 10.
Wood joined McIlroy in a short 45-minute lunch break before they were back on the tee for their second rounds.
And Woods was also in the wars with the putter taking four three-putts and 36 putts overal in his score of a one-under par 70.
He said: “It wasn’t good as I hit it well and just putted awful.
“To have four three-putts was ridiculous but it was nice to salvage something in the middle of my round which was nice.”
A year ago, McIlroy shot 71 in the company of Woods who was competing in just his second event back from a fourth back operation and bravely shot 72.
Lone Scot Martin Laird returned to the course at 7am local time Friday to complete his round after Thursday’s seven-hour delay and eventual complete restart to post a four-over 75.
