Tiger Woods shot an opening round 1-over 73 at the Masters on Thursday.

Woods shot an opening round 1-over 73 at the Masters on Thursday.

Analysis:

Woods' first round since withdrawing from the Farmers Insurance Open was predictably marred by rust and inconsistency. On the positive side, his short game was effective, and Woods emerged from the round healthy and positive. Still, he trails leader Jordan Spieth by nine strokes in a day where scoring was available. With the cut line coming at the top 50 and those within 10 strokes of the lead, Woods could use a lower round to secure his spot for the weekend.