Wincing on every shot and sometimes letting out a yelp at impact because of a bad back, Tiger Woods shot a 4-under-par 68 at Mt. Juliet in Thomastown, Ireland, on Thursday that left him in a large group two shots behind British Open champion Todd Hamilton in the American Express Championship.
Woods hurt his back last week when he fell asleep in an awkward position on his private plane.
Hamilton birdied four straight holes toward the end of his round to get to 7 under but made his only bogey on the 18th hole for a 6-under 66. He had a one-shot lead over Sergio Garcia, Luke Donald, Miguel Angel Jimenez, Stuart Appleby, Adam Scott and Steve Flesch.
– John Senden closed his 7-under 65 with his second eagle of the round and shared the lead with Harrison Frazar and Glen Day after the first round of the Southern Farm Bureau Classic at Madison, Miss.
