Encouraging signs for Tiger at Pebble Beach

PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. -- Tiger Woods' first tournament round of the year in the United States consisted of good tee shots, middling approach shots and a score that would have been satisfying if the scores of so many others in the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am weren't outstanding.

On a windless, blue-sky day along the Central California coast, Woods shot a 4-under par 68 at Spyglass Hill, considered by most the most difficult of the three courses used the opening three rounds. But he was considerably back of the tri-leaders

Danny Lee and two-time winner Dustin Johnson shot 9-under 63s Thursday at Pebble Beach, the course defenseless without the harsh weather often a part of this tournament. Charlie Wi shot a 9-under 61 at Monterey Peninsula CC, a shorter, par-70 course.

Woods, returning to the AT&T for the first time since 2002, was tied for 15th place and both pleased and frustrated. "I drove it great,'' said Woods, "and hit it great with the 5 iron up to the driver. Unfortunately I didn't do a very good job of getting to the greens. I didn't take advantage of my tee shots, and with everyone tearing it up, you don't want get too far behind.''

Woods had one of the lower rounds at Spyglass, which swings through tall Monterey Pines to the breakers of Monterey Bay, then emerges from sand dunes and curls back into the forest. Nick Watney and Kevin Na shot 66s there.

"I putted well today,'' said Woods, who had three birdies and a bogey on each nine. "Ever since the first round at Abu Dhabi [two weeks ago; his season opener] I figured something out. I've just got to get better looks, get the ball closer.''

Woods is teamed with Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo, who is a scratch golfer. "He's a hell of a golfer,'' Woods said of Romo, "but this is a different arena, out of his element. It would be like us going onto the football field.''

For Woods, who has not won a full-field tournament in the U.S. since Sept. 2009, there were encouraging signs. He birdied three of the four par-5s, holes he used do dominate when he was winning, and he holed a par putt on the sixth after leaving his 70-footer 10 feet short.

"I feel comfortable because my practice sessions have been so much better,'' said Woods. "That's where you derive confidence. I didn't control my distances with my irons, but my best shot of the day was the par-putt at six.''