Tour Report: Woods has up-and-down round

Interview: Tiger Woods

BETHESDA, Md. — The AT&T National is back at Congressional for the first time since 2009, and it felt more like a U.S. Open than an actual U.S. Open — at least according to Tiger Woods.

“We’ve played three U.S. Opens so far this year,” Woods said following an opening-round 72. “We had Bay Hill, obviously Olympic and now one here.

“A little retribution for what happened last year. Don’t be mad at me, I didn’t play.”

Woods was injured when Rory McIlroy won the U.S. Open here at a record 16 under. Thursday, he was happy to make it through his round largely unscathed with two birdies and three bogeys on a difficult day of scoring.

Congressional played 2 1/2 strokes over par in the opening round of the AT&T National.

At last year’s U.S. Open, Congressional played only a half-stroke more difficult.

“It’s survival,” said Woods, who actually has input on the setup of the course as his foundation runs the event. “The ball will bounce as high as it flies on some holes. It’s an adjustment we all have to make.”

Woods had to make plenty of adjustments Thursday after hitting just seven fairways and 11 greens in regulation in what was his highest round here since a 73 in the opening round in 2007.

Still, Woods did well to get up-and-down as often as he did.

“At least during the Open you could get it to land on the green from the rough,” Woods said. “They had graduated rough. There’s no graduated rough here this week. If it’s not in the fairway then it’s in the deep stuff. It’s a different setup. It’s hard and fast, and we have to be careful a lot of times, and when you have an opportunity to be aggressive, better do it.”

Woods will have an opportunity to do just that on Friday when he tees off at 7:50 a.m. ET. Temperatures are expected to reach into the high 90s for the second round, which could make things difficult for the afternoon wave.

“There were not a lot of low scores this afternoon,” Woods said. “It’ll be interesting to see what happens, what they do on the weekend. You can water the greens all you want in the morning, and they’re going to obviously dry out as the day goes on. I don’t see how this course is going to play easier in the afternoon.”