CHIBA, Japan -- The first three holes were so bad for Tiger Woods on Thursday that his caddie, Joe LaCava, joked that he could have parred at least one of them.
Maybe so.
But it's unlikely LaCava -- or anyone in the Zozo Championship field, as it turned out -- could go on the run Woods did to vault to the top of the leaderboard.
An opening tee shot in the water, another in the trees and a three-putt green were the way Woods ingloriously began his 2019-20 PGA Tour season. Then he made nine birdies over the ensuing 15 holes to shoot 6-under-par 64 at Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club.