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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW The writing's on the wall ... Oregon Republicans bruised by 'partisan' legislative session ... Elevated bacteria levels prompt warnings for local creeks ... The writing's on the wall ... Oregon Republicans bruised by 'partisan' legislative session ... Elevated bacteria levels prompt warnings for local creeks ... GOLF Woods stumbles to a 77 in his return Comment By The Associated Press MailTribune.com By The Associated Press Posted Dec. 5, 2014 at 2:00 AM By The Associated Press Posted Dec. 5, 2014 at 2:00 AM » Social News WINDERMERE, Fla. — Tiger Woods took on any shot without pain or worry Thursday, a feeling he hasn't had on the golf course in a long time. As for his short game? He hadn't seen anything like it in longer than he can remember, and it was shocking. Woods flubbed four chips. He took two shots to get out of a bunker on the par-5 seventh hole. He didn't have a birdie putt inside 20 feet until the 11th hole. And on the four birdie chances he had inside 10 feet on the back nine, he made only one of them. And that was a tap-in. In his first competition in nearly four months, Woods wound up with a 5-over 77 at Isleworth, his home course for his first 16 years as a pro. That put him in last place in the 18-man field, 11 shots behind Jordan Spieth, who is coming off a runaway victory last week in the Australian Open. "One of those days where nothing went my way," Woods said. The score was not nearly as significant as his health in what has been a lost year for Woods because of back problems. He had surgery a week before the Masters that kept him out for three months. He had not played since Aug. 9 at the PGA Championship because of lingering back issues and the need to build up his muscle structure. Even so, some of the shots were shocking, especially around the green. "It is surprising that I could hit chips that poorly," he said. What kept the day from being a total loss is that Woods reported feeling "zero pain." "I haven't said that in a long time," Woods said. "It's very exciting to step up there and hit the drives I hit — especially on the back nine — and start launching it and feel nothing." Spieth ran off five straight birdies starting at No. 6, and saved his round with a 12-foot par putt on the 18th. Steve Stricker made five birdies in a bogey-free round of 67 and was one shot behind Spieth, along with Dubai World Tour Championship winner Henrik Stenson, Zach Johnson and Rickie Fowler. By The Associated Press MailTribune.com By The Associated Press Posted Dec. 5, 2014 at 2:00 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501