Woods pleased with Tour return

Tiger Woods gave his surgically fused spine its toughest test to date and came away with a tie for 23rd place in the Farmers Insurance Open.

Woods carded an even-par 72 yesterday morning (Singapore time) on the Torrey Pines South Course, where his eight US PGA Tour victories include his 14th and most recent Major title at the 2008 US Open.

"Today, I played a lot better," said Woods, who had four birdies and four bogeys in a round that gave him a three-under par total of 285 and a share of 23rd place.

"It was tough conditions out there, it was tough scoring," he added of Santa Ana winds gusting across the course. Woods was seven shots off the 10-under total of 278 that put Jason Day, Alex Noren and Ryan Palmer into the play-off.

Palmer was eliminated at the first extra hole after failing to match the birdies carded by the other two, who were still locked in battle when darkness fell as they completed the fifth play-off hole. - REUTERS