Woods delights Open crowds with birdie blitz

Tiger Woods rolled back the years with some of the scintillating golf that made him a 14-time major winner as he carded a three-under par 69 in today's opening round at the British Open.
A marvellous run of five birdies in six holes down the stretch leaves him three shots off the clubhouse pace set by Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland.
After the worst possible start on his return to the scene of his 2006 triumph at Hoylake, the 12th of his 14 majors, Woods electrified the crowd as they roared him home on a baking hot day at Royal Liverpool.

"That was a rough start there, bogeying the first two but I stayed patient," Woods told BBC Sport.
"I figured it was one of those days where someone would shoot seven under par today and I had to just get in there and use the par fives I had to play.
"If you've been off a few months it can be tough, compound that with surgery and it's hard.

"I know what it's like to win here but the golf course is completely different to when I won in 2006, it's much lusher.
"The weather forecast will change things over the next few days though," added Woods.

The hype and tension surrounding the American and how he would perform, in just his second tournament since he underwent back surgery in a bid to resurrect his career, was telling and the former world number one began with two nervous bogeys to open his round.
But the global icon parred the third and then began to hit his stride with his first birdie of the day at the par five fifth to return to one over.
As the crowds following the 38-year-old around the flat par-72 layout grew, Woods began to rise to the occasion, sparked by a winding putt from the edge of the 11th green that saw him shake his fist in celebration.

The Woods swagger was back and he clearly enjoyed the occasion acknowledging an adoring public with waves, nods and his unmistakable beaming smile.