Woods entered the 2012 Palmer on both good and bad notes. The good: He was playing better than he had since late 2009. In his previous five stroke-play finishes going into the Palmer, Woods had finished third, first (at his own Chevron World Challenge late in 2011, a non-official event), third, 15th and second. The bad: At the WGC Cadillac Championship two weeks earlier, Woods withdrew with a sore Achilles tendon, a problem that plagued him in 2011.
But during the Palmer, Woods showed no sign of injury problems. He opened with a round of 69, good for a tie for fourth place after Round 1.
First Round Leaders
Jason Dufner, 66
Charlie Wi, 66
Nick Watney, 68
Tiger Woods, 69
6 others also at 69
