Tiger Tracker: Woods finishes even in first round of Northern Trust

Jesse Yomtov | USA TODAY

Show Caption Hide Caption PGA Tour: What to expect at The Northern Trust USA TODAY Sports' Steve DiMeglio previews the upcoming tournament at the Ridgewood Country Club in Paramus, New Jersey.

Tiger Woods is playing in the FedExCup Playoffs for the first time since 2013, the postseason jackpot of riches. A win this week would be his first PGA Tour title since 2013 and his first FedExCup playoff triumph since 2009.

Despite being winless in 14 starts as he pursues his 80th PGA Tour title and first since 2013, Woods has turned back the clock and flashed vintage moments in a year he says has been one of his best.

“I feel my next wins are coming soon,” Woods said. “How soon, I don't know, but I'm putting myself there in tournaments now. I've done it two of the last three tournaments I've played in and they were big events, so I'm not that far away from getting it done.”

Here's how his opening round went Thursday:

Hole 8 – Par 4

The tee shot is Tiger's best drive of the day, going 293 yards right down the middle of the fairway. Approach shot hits the edge of the green but takes a fortunate roll down towards the hole. He's about 13 feet from the hole with the chance to birdie. Putt is just a little bit off, and Woods finishes his final hole at par. Even, 71 on the day

Hole 7 – Par 4

Driver shot lands a bit in the left rough off the fairway. A tough lie, but Tiger recovers well to hit the fairway about 15 feet in front of the green. This would be a tremendous save. He drops it short onto the green, and is about six feet from the hole looking to par. He converts. Even thru 17.

Hole 6 – Par 3

Tee shot does its job, landing on the green about 50 feet short of the hole. Putt stayed a bit left, but sets Woods up for a two-foot shot to make par. Even thru 16.

Hole 5 – Par 4

Tee shot ends up in the rough off to the right of the fairway, not an ideal start to the hole for Woods. Approach shot ends up in the bunker off to the right of the green – yikes. Recovers well with his third shot though, chipping to about 10 feet from the hole. Putt is a little off to the left and Woods fails to save par. That's his second bogey of the day. Even thru 15.

Hole 4 – Par 4

A nice tee shot put Woods right on the fairway before the approach shot put him on the green about 20 feet from the hole. First putt is strong but he's able to make the second and shoot par here. 1-under thru 14.

Hole 3 – Par 5

Tiger goes 282 yards with his tee shot, down on the right side of the fairway. Great approach shot with a fairway wood, about 15 yards in front of the green. Pitch winds up about 15 feet from the hole, setting up a decent birdie chance. He buries the putt and is back under-par for the day. 1-under thru 13.

Hole 2 – Par 3

Tee shot is long, trickling into the rough beyond the green. He's less than 20 feet from the hole so this is going to be a a challenging chip. Approach is too strong from a tough lie, rolling about 10 feet back past the hole. His first putt misses just to the right, so Woods will have to settle for his first bogey of the day. Even thru 12.

Hole 1 – Par 4

Picture-perfect tee shot with fairway wood, but a very poor approach goes past the hole and off the back of the green into the rough. Tiger gets back onto the green with a nice shot that lands about 15 feet from the hole and rolls to within two feet. He sinks the putt and it's par – his 10th in 11 holes. 1-under thru 11.

Hole 18 – Par 4

After his first birdie of the day, Woods pulls this one way off to the left of the fairway. From a bare lie, he manages to get his second shot onto the green, about 30 feet from the hole – nice recovery. First putt gets Tiger about three feet from the hole, a little short, and he'll manage par again. 1-under thru 10.

Hole 17 – Par 5

Another strong drive lands on the right side of the fairway. Woods should be able to go for this in two. A very nice approach shot with the fairway wood comes up a few yards short of the green, and this sets up another nice opportunity. And there we go! Woods places it perfectly onto the green, a few feet past the hole. Easy putt for birdie as he wraps up his front nine. 1-under thru 9.

Hole 16 – Par 4

Nice drive goes on the right side of the fairway and follows up with a beautiful approach shot, landing about 12 feet from the hole. This will be Tiger's best chance a birdie so far. Putt goes a bit to the right, failing to convert the birdie and it's another par. Elsewhere, Hideki Matsuyama is in the lead at 5-under. Even thru 8.

Hole 15 – Par 3

Solid tee shot finds the green, setting up another tough putt for birdie about 20 feet downhill from the hole. He's having a tough time with distance in the early going today. First putt ends up about a foot from the hole and he'll tap in for his seventh par in a row. Even thru 7.

Hole 14 – Par 4

Woods goes right down the middle of the fairway with his tee shot. Approach shot finds the green, but it's on the edge about 50+ feet short of the hole. Birdie putt is off by a few feet and Tiger follows up to par yet again. Even thru 6.

Hole 13 – Par 5

With the driver, Woods' tee shot finds the left edge of the fairway on this 617-yard hole. Second shot gets him up further on the right side of the fairway, before breaking out the wedge to get on the green about 20 feet beyond the hole to the left. A nice effort on his first putt, but just a bit off to the left. He converts for par – his fifth in a row to start the round. Even thru 5.

Hole 12 – Par 4

Woods plays it safe and opts for an iron on the tee shot, finding the right side of the fairway. Approach shot is a disaster as the ball spins back and trickles all way off the front of the green. Battles back well with the third shot, chipping from the rough to about seven feet from the hole. Woods sinks the challenging putt, saving par on a hole that could have gone a lot worse. Even thru 4.

Hole 11 – Par 3

Tiger's tee shot finds the back left of the green about 11 feet from the hole – going to be a tough shot for birdie. His putt is a good one, but just misses to the left. He taps in for par. Even thru 3.

Hole 10 – Par 4

Tee shot ends up in the rough a little to the left, the second fairway he's missed to start things off. Woods' hollers for his approach shot to get down and it does, a few yards short of the front left bunker, setting up a pretty simple chip. Gets about six feet from the hole on his next attempt, a bit downhill, but a good chance to save par. His putt does just that. Even thru 2.

Hole 9 – Par 4

Starting the day on the ninth hole, Woods' first shot of the tournament goes a bit into the left rough. A nice approach shot to follow up though, ending up on the fringe of the front left fringe of the green. Tiger breaks out the putter for his third shot and hits it about a foot from the hole, converting the short putt for par. Even thru 1.