Summary Tiger Woods played a round of 69, four shots behind Justin Rose at Bay Hill.
ORLANDO, Florida, March 21, 2013 (AFP) - Tiger Woods, chasing Rory McIlroy for golf s world No. 1 ranking, scrambled to a 69 on Thursday that left him four shots off the early first-round round pace of Justin Rose at Bay Hill.
Woods can overtake Northern Ireland s McIlroy atop the world rankings with a successful defence of his Bay Hill title. McIlroy isn t playing the event.
He got off to an erratic start, hitting just eight fairways and 12 greens and needing 28 putts in his first round of the $6.2 million US PGA Arnold Palmer Invitational.
"I didn t drive it well, didn t hit my irons well and didn t control my distances or trajectory well," said Woods, a seven-time winner of this event.
But he countered his three bogeys with an eagle at the par-five 16th and four birdies, including three in a row from the par-five fourth.
Several key par saves included one at his opening hole, the 10th, where his approach from a bunker was long. He chipped to within three feet and made the putt.
"I certainly didn t play my best, but I got around and made a few good saves out there," he said.
England s Rose was in the clubhouse on 65, his seven-under effort including an eagle and six birdies -- including a stretch of four in a row from the fourth.
John Rollins was his closest pursuer in the clubhouse on 68, while Woods was joined on 69 by Japan s Ryo Ishikawa, Charley Hoffman, Nick Watney and Sean O Hair.
