Woods Opens PGA Championship with 1-Over 72

Tiger Woods struggled with his tee shots but battled back to post a 1-over 72 in the opening round of the PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club.

Tiger Woods opened the PGA Championship with a 1-over 72 on Thursday, battling through a series of wayward tee shots but showing signs of his old form with a strong finish.

The 15-time major winner found the fairway just six times off the tee, hitting into trees and rough on several occasions. He also missed a number of short putts, including a three-footer for par on the 18th hole.

But Woods, who is making his first start in a major since the Masters in April, showed flashes of brilliance on the greens. He made a 25-foot birdie putt on the 15th hole and a 15-foot birdie putt on the 17th hole.

Woods also hit some impressive shots off the tee, including a 330-yard drive on the par-4 10th hole. He also hit a towering iron shot on the par-3 16th hole that landed on the green.

Woods' round was far from perfect, but he was encouraged by his finish.

"I hit some good shots today, but I also hit some bad shots," Woods said. "But I hung in there and made some birdies coming in. I'm happy with the way I finished."

Woods is tied for 40th place after the first round, but he is only four shots behind the leaders. He will need to play better off the tee in the second round, but he is confident that he can make a run at the championship.

"I'm still in the tournament," Woods said. "I just need to shoot a low round tomorrow and get myself back in contention."

Woods will tee off in the second round at 1:05 p.m. ET on Friday. He will be paired with Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth.