Tiger Woods has his game headed in the right direction for the new year.
He opened his season Thursday with a bogey-free round of 3-under 69 in the Farmers Insurance Open and was five shots off the lead. Woods failed to birdie any of the par 5s on the North Course.
South Korean rookie Sunghoon Kang birdied his last two holes for a 64. The best score on the South Course was 67 by John Daly. He is the last player to win at Torrey Pines when Woods was in the field.
"I'm happy with the way I played, absolutely," Woods said. "I could have been a lot better if I took care of the par 5s a little bit more, but obviously, I didn't do that."
Kang, a 24-year-old rookie, finished with back-to-back birdies on the North Course for an 8-under 64, giving him a one-shot lead over fellow rookie Chris Kirk, Alex Prugh and Rickie Fowler. Phil Mickelson shot 32 on the back nine for a 5-under 67 to match the best score on the tougher South Course.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Iowa to investigate illnesses University of Iowa leaders promised Thursday to investigate what caused 13 football players to be hospitalized with an unusual muscle disorder following offseason workouts.
Board of Regents President David Miles and Iowa President Sally Mason called the incident "a cause for grave concern." The university will have 90 days to complete an investigation analyzing events leading up to the hospitalizations, and the results will be presented to the board.
The review will involve independent medical experts. "It is essential that we take the necessary steps to understand the factors that led to this to ensure that it never happens again," Miles said.
