Tiger Woods got off to an early and quick start this morning at the British Open.
Woods birdied four of the first seven holes to fly up the leaderboard with a 30 on the front nine.
The 8-1 favorite to win the tournament had a 4:42 a.m. ET tee time at Royal Lytham St. Annes.
Game On! will be taking a hole-by-hole look at the round by the three-time British Open champion.
USA TODAY will also have an in-progress scoreboard.
TELL US: �Who will win the British Open
ESPN is showing the tournament live.
8:58: No. 17 is a tight hole protected by bunkers and bushes but Woods takes them both out of play by stroking the ball down the middle. He has sacrificed distance for accuracy and at -3 you have to say he made the right choice. Bubba Watson is now in the clubhouse at -3.
8:55: Your leaderboard has Scott (-6), Lawrie (-5), Zach Johnson (-5) in the clubhouse followed by McDowell (-4) and Els, Woods, Watson and Thomas Aiken at -3.
8:52: Woods does not get his birdie on No. 16. The man who birdied four of the first seven holes, does not have a birdie on the back nine but does have a bogey. A little gas may be needed on the throttle. Although if he remains at -3 he's got to be the favorite in the tournament.
8:45: Woods' approach on No. 16 hits on the green but spins back. Tiger knew it right way as he shouted 'come on' as soon as he struck the ball. Another tough birdie putt but another solid hole.
8:42: Woods continues to skirt the bunkers on the course. He takes iron again and hits the 16th fairway. Except for the miscue on No. 15, Woods has hit every green and thus far has missed the 205 bunkers on the course.
8:36: Woods doesn't hit his par putt but this is one time where he got a good bogey. This could have been an opening round thrown away but he scrambled in only the way TW can. He drops to -3 with his first bogey. He is currently three back of leaders Adam Scott and Zach Johnson.
8:32: Woods' third shot "hang on" says Curtis Strange is spectacular. That might be his best hit all day as he powers the ball from the junk onto the green. He has chance for a par which would be unworldly. This is the kind of stuff legends are made of when they win a major. And yes it is early but the disaster he was facing was huge.
8:30: Woods chops his way out of the rough. This is his first hole where bogey is threatening as he remains deep in the rough. Maybe double-bogey in play.
8:26: Sweet looking leaderboard with Scott and Zach Johnson at -6 with Scott in the clubhouse. Lawrie, also in the clubhouse is -5 with Woods and McDowell at -4 and Bubba Watson at -3.
8:21: Whoa, Tiger. He takes fairway metal on No. 15 (462 yards) and jacks it left into the rough. The first missed fairway for Woods and it could cost him. Woods had birdied four of the first seven holes and then went on a par streak. That now is in jeopardy.
8:20: Woods' birdie putt on No. 14 is just short. He has now had 7 consecutive pars. Scott does bogey and scores 64. That is a disappointing finish but a great score as he's the leader in the clubhouse.
8:19: Scott does not chip in and has a real tough putt for par. He may have to settle for 64 instead of the 62 he had in his sights.
8:15: Paul Lawrie, the 1999 winner, is your leader in the clubhouse with a 65. Scott will probably be the leader in minutes as he's on No. 18. But he won't get his 62 unless he chips in. His drive went into the deep rough and he wasn't able to get a whole lot on his approach.
8:14: Woods' approach on No. 14 is from 176 yards and he swears on air as his ball hits the middle of the green. He expected much more from himself and to be honest so did we. This could be a great round by Woods where he talks about what could have been.
8:10: Scott's drive for history (62 in a major) gets off to a rough start as his drive ends up in the junk. We await the lie.
8:06: Once again Tiger goes iron on his drive. He has not missed a fairway and that continues on No. 14 where there are 10 bunkers. Woods has missed everyone of them on the course (204) thus far.
8:05: Scott will need a birdie on No. 18 to shoot 62 and the lowest round in major history.
7:56: Woods could use some giddy-up in his game. He started spectacular but hasn't had a birdie since No. 7. Usually par is a good score at the Open but Woods needs to slay the course while there is no wind or rain. This is sort of like complaining about a bad stroke from Picasso but Woods (-4) was that masterful on the front nine.
7:53: Somebody needs to stop Adam Scott. He is looking at 62 at a major. He's -7 through 16 with Zach Johnson at -5. Woods remains at -4. Bubba Watson just made a great save on No. 14 to remain at -3. The 17-footer is what keeps you in majors.
7:43: Woods' birdie try never had a chance on No. 12 as he walks at it after hitting the ball. He'll settle for par and stay at -4. Nothing legendary lately but no costly mistakes either. This looks like a winning first round.
7:34: Another par 3. this won at No. 12 is 198 yards. This was a disaster hole for Woods the last time the Open was at Royal Lytham. This time he hits a beauty to the front part of the green and he's got a great chance for birdie. Adam Scott is now -6 and putting some breathing room in front of the field. Woods, Lawrie, Johnson, Bubba and McDowell are at -4.
7:32: Woods has to settle for par on No. 11. A great lag putt but anything more than birdie on the par 5s have to get him kicking himself. This one was lost with a lukewarm third shot. He remains at -4.
7:26: At the par 5, No. 11, Woods screams "bite, bite, bite." He will be looking at 20 feet plus for birdie and a tie for the lead.
7:24: The leaderboard is bunching up with Lawrie and McDowell now -4 with Bubba and Woods and Adam Scott at -5. So much for the wicked, wicked conditions of the British Open. No wind, no rain, ain't no mountain high enough.
7:15: Woods goes iron on the 598-yard, par 5 No.11. He had taken eagle out of the equation but this is a Woods who seems to be mastering Royal Lytham. Everything can't be spectacular.
7:13: A leaderboard that fans can only dream about: Adam Scott -5, Bubba and Tiger at -4 and Lawrie, Zach Johnson and Graeme McDowell at -3.
7:12: Woods' putt to tie Scott for the lead dives left and he'll take par and -4, one shot back. Tiger not happy but he couldn't be playing much better.
7:10: In case you were asking the conditions right now are benign and the players are taking advantage of Mother Nature giving them strokes.
7:07: Matthew Baldwin and Adilson Da Silva are at -1 and the leaders in the clubhouse. That is a badge of honor in itself. Woods is safely on the green on No. 10 but about 20-25 feet from birdie. He hit his approach from divot filled with sand so that could have been disastrous.
6:57: Woods, shooting for a 29 on the front, rims his birdie putt and will settle for 30. Still pretty impressive. He's at -4 and trails Adam Scott at -5. Scott is through 13.
6:50: Woods -4, Scott -4, Bubba -3. Tell me this wouldn't be a great weekend pairing? Not just Steve Williams (caddie for Scott) walking next to Woods but Watson joining them. We live in hope.
6:45: Woods' birdie putt on No. 8 slides by left. He'll settle for par and now at -4 tied with Adam Scott.
6:37: A tweet from USA TODAY golf writer Steve DiMeglio: Tiger Woods has opened with round in 60s in six Opens as a pro ... 3 wins, a third, a T12 and a T23.
6:35: Nothing special to see here. Just Woods hitting another fairway. He hasn't missed one today. He used iron on the 416-yard, par 4 eighth. This is a clinic people.
6:32: Woods now -4 and could not look any better. If Woods continues playing like he did the first seven holes you can etch his name for the fourth time on the Claret Jug. Do they do that?
6:27: Just a great chip by Woods. He'll have a tapper for another birdie and -4. The guy has the rotary of shots and he's dialed in.
6:24: This is getting cooler by the minute. Bubba Watson is now -3 and tied for the lead. And while we are talking about Watsons, Tom Watson is even through six holes.
6:20: For him and his round, Woods hits a poor approach shot on No. 7. But not really in trouble on the par 5. He still has a great chance to birdie the hole as he's just off the green in 2. A 317-yard drive will do that for you. Still, Woods had to be thinking eagle on this hole.
6:18: Just something for all of us to think about. Woods leads at -3. Adam Scott at -2. How cool would it be to see caddie Steve Williams and Tiger on Sunday? I know its early but just saying.
6:13: There isn't a club in his bag that Woods isn't hitting well. He just drove the ball 317 yards on the 592-yard, par 5 seventh hole. This is the man to catch early. He is looking Tiger-esque and leading at -3.
6:10: Woods, trying for his third birdie of the round on No. 6, is dead-solid perfect and the man could not be any hotter. He's -3 after six holes. This is the best Woods has looked in years at a major.
5:55: Woods remains at -2 and in the lead. He takes an iron on the 492-yard, par 4 No. 6. Woods hits a stinger and a good one. The advantage of being a long player is that even when you play safe you can play long.
5:48: Some work needs to be done on No. 5 for Woods. He missed the green on the par 3 and needs another chip and putt for par as he did on No. 3. His chip checks up short but pretty good. Has about six feet for par to remain tied for the lead at -2 with Lawrie and Adam Scott.
5:40: The man is on fire! Woods gets his second birdie with a 22-footer on No. 4 and is now -2 and in second place by himself.
5:34: After his birdie on No. 1, Woods has been solid if not spectacular. Now on No. 4, he has about 22 feet for birdie. There are just nine players under par including Woods (-1) with Lawrie the leader at -3.
5:25: Taking lob wedge, Woods first backs off because of a camera clicking in the background. No harm, no foul has Woods pitches to about a foot. A par assured. Onto No. 4. Bubba Watson is also among a handful of players under par. He's at -1 with Woods with Paul Lawrie your leader at -3.
5:20: For the first time, Woods in a bit of trouble. After a perfect tee shot on No. 3 he yanked his approach and it rolled off left of the green. He needs a chip and a putt to get out with par.
5:07: Woods will settle for par on No. 2 and remain at -1. He had about 14 feet for birdie but never really challenged the hole. He remains one of four players under par.
4:54: The second hole for Woods is a 481-yard par 4. The drive, short of any of the nine bunkers is perfect.
4:50: The birdie putt on No.1 by Woods curls in the left side of the cup. Woods opens with birdie and -1 after 1.
4:46: While we wait for Woods' first putt, Paul Lawrie has gone to -3 and Westwood at -2. You can score early evidently.
4:42: Woods starts his round on No.1, a par 3 with a beauty. He's now about 10 feet for birdie. Early leaders include Jeev Milka Singh and Paul Lawrie at -2 and Ernie Els and Lee Westwood at -1. Woods is playing with Justin Rose and Sergio Garcia.
4:30: Woods will open his round at the 205-yard, par 3. It is not long but has seven bunkers and the tee box is enclosed by trees.
Source: http://rssfeeds.usatoday.com/~r/UsatodaycomSports-TopStories/~3/651-r17lxxw/1
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