Tiger Woods wasn’t kidding when he said his game wasn’t as sharp as he wanted.

On his first shot of the British Open, Woods pulled his tee ball left into the thick rough and appeared to be in some pain, too. Woods, who won The Masters in April, would go on to the par hole.

“Why did he grimace?” Nick Faldo remarked on The Golf Channel’s coverage.

Woods, who hasn’t played since the US Open last month, has cut back on his schedule in hopes of staying in top physical shape after years of back pain and surgeries. Upon his arrival at Portrush, though, he was up front about his game being a little out of shape.

“Getting myself into position to win the Masters took a lot out of me,” Woods said Tuesday. “That golf course puts so much stress on the system.”