Tiger Woods, like the majority of competitors in this week’s 94th PGA Championship, was getting to grips with rules governing play from bunkers here on the Ocean Course at Kiawah Island.

Admittedly, it was at the ninth hole or the the last in his round of 67 but Woods showed his skill in playing from a waste bunker, and what he said was a very ‘nasty’ lie.

Tiger Woods not at all comfortable with Kiawah Island's unique waste and bunker rules. (Photo - Eoin Clarke/www.golffile.ie)

And Woods, in a manner we’re so used to seeing from Phil Mickelson, opened up a 60-degree wedge and put the ball from about 60 yards out onto the green and save par.

“That was nasty, and some nasty stuff right there so I opened up with a 60 and put a bit of fuel on it,” said Woods.

However Woods had been reminded of the strange bunker rule in place this week, that also allows for a player to scrape away some of the sand behind the ball when lying in a bunker, and something that in any other tournament or on any other golf course, would incur instant penalty, when playing a practice round earlier in the week.

“Well I’ve done it, what you would determine or deem for the week, a waste bunker that looks like a bunker because it’s raked up all over the green,” said Woods.

“I’ve done that before but not consistently.  I’ve done it all week.

“Then I get into a tournament and here, pull it left on 13, pull it left over there and Joey reminds me that you can take a practice swing out of there, because I had not done it in a tournament yet.  It felt a little weird to putt my club on the ground.

“It just felt weird, it really does, because then it gives a whole different perspective now.  Now it feels like, okay, well, it’s from the fairway, but it’s not, because the club settles and as you take it back, there’s an imprint.

“So I didn’t do that again.

“I took a few practice swings, get a feel, because all of these bunkers are all different.  Some have lot of sand and some have no sand.”

Woods, who has won four PGA Championships in his career with last being in 2007,  had been one over par after five holes but played the closing 13 in four under par.

“Geez, I’m playing with Keegan (Bradley) and he’s 3‑under through two, and you look up on the board, some guys 4‑under through six; a bunch of guys 3‑under through five; a couple of them were 3‑under through three,” said Woods.

“So it’s one of those days where everyone’s going to shoot 6‑, 7‑, 8‑under par, but the wind kicked up a little bit and it changed things quite a bit.  If it had stayed pretty benign, I’m sure you would have had to have probably shot 5‑under par to be in the Top‑10.

“But things have changed.  The wind has kicked up, and it’s actually changed directions, too.

“When it first kicked up it was off the land and now it’s off the ocean.  Much different golf course now.”