<p class="bodytext">Former world number one Tiger Woods made a satisfying return on Thursday in his latest comeback after a 10-month layoff punctuated by back surgery and personal problems.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Woods, playing his first round of tournament golf in 301 days, fired a three-under-par 69 in the opening round of the Hero World Challenge at Albany Golf Club.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The 41-year-old 14-time major champion carded five birdies and two bogeys in an encouraging first outing since injury forced his withdrawal at the Dubai Desert Classic in February.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Woods was three shots behind the leader, England's Tommy Fleetwood who carded a 66. Rickie Fowler and Matt Kuchar were in tied second spot with 67 while Kevn Chappell, Justin Rose, Dustin Johnson and Jordan Spieth all carded 68.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"I thought I did great," said a smiling Woods, who is three shots back from leader Tommy Fleetwood, who posted a six-under-par 66.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"I hadn't played in a while after some difficulties, so to come out here and score like I did was nice," Woods added. "It was fun to be out there and be part of a scorecard again."</p>.<p class="bodytext">Woods underwent back surgery in April in the latest of a series of injury setbacks which also forced him to miss the entire 2015-2016 season.</p>.<p class="bodytext">He admitted he had not known what to expect on his return to competitive golf.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"I didn't know what I could do. I've been playing golf, been playing a lot of holes at home," Woods said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"But it's a little different when you've got to tee it up in a tournament. I had a lot of adrenaline going there.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"I had to dial it back a little bit. Those are the internal struggles I haven't had for a while."</p>.<p class="bodytext">After narrowly missing with two birdie putts on the opening two holes, Woods made his first birdie of the day on the par-five third, reaching the green in two before two-putting.</p>.<p class="bodytext">A further birdie on the eighth -- when he drained a 20-foot putt -- put him at two under before a botched chip led to a bogey on the ninth.</p>.<p class="bodytext">However Woods came roaring back after the turn, with birdies on the 10th, 13th and 14th to move to four under before a bogey on 16 halted his momentum.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Woods said he had paid a mental tribute to all those who had enabled him to return to the sport he once dominated before he teed off on Thursday.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"I was very thankful this morning," he said. "I was in my head thanking all the people that have really helped me and gave me a chance to come back and play this round again.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"There were a lot of people that were instrumental in my life -- friends, outside people I've never met before, obviously my surgeon -- a lot of people. I tried to make sure in my head I thanked every one of them."</p>.<p class="bodytext">Woods also revealed the support he had received from fellow professionals during his recovery had helped him return.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"The guys have been great. They're all trying to help me -- they're always texting me to say 'Hey, come on, let's go out and play,'" Woods said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"They really want to help me come back and play."</p>.<p class="bodytext">Woods, whose 79 career PGA Tour wins are three shy of Sam Snead's all-time record, has not won a major title since the 2008 US Open and has not won any event since the 2013 World Golf Championships Bridgestone Invitational.</p>.<p class="bodytext">First-round scores (US unless stated): 66: Tommy Fleetwood (ENG); 67: Rickie Fowler, Matt Kuchar; 68: Kevin Chappell, Justin Rose (ENG), Dustin Johnson, Jordan Spieth; 69: Tiger Woods, Charley Hoffman, Justin Thomas, Francesco Molinari (ITA); 70: Henrik Stenson (SWE), Kevin Kisner; 71: Hideki Matsuyama (JPN), Brooks Koepka; 72: Patrick Reed.</p>
<p class="bodytext">Former world number one Tiger Woods made a satisfying return on Thursday in his latest comeback after a 10-month layoff punctuated by back surgery and personal problems.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Woods, playing his first round of tournament golf in 301 days, fired a three-under-par 69 in the opening round of the Hero World Challenge at Albany Golf Club.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The 41-year-old 14-time major champion carded five birdies and two bogeys in an encouraging first outing since injury forced his withdrawal at the Dubai Desert Classic in February.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Woods was three shots behind the leader, England's Tommy Fleetwood who carded a 66. Rickie Fowler and Matt Kuchar were in tied second spot with 67 while Kevn Chappell, Justin Rose, Dustin Johnson and Jordan Spieth all carded 68.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"I thought I did great," said a smiling Woods, who is three shots back from leader Tommy Fleetwood, who posted a six-under-par 66.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"I hadn't played in a while after some difficulties, so to come out here and score like I did was nice," Woods added. "It was fun to be out there and be part of a scorecard again."</p>.<p class="bodytext">Woods underwent back surgery in April in the latest of a series of injury setbacks which also forced him to miss the entire 2015-2016 season.</p>.<p class="bodytext">He admitted he had not known what to expect on his return to competitive golf.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"I didn't know what I could do. I've been playing golf, been playing a lot of holes at home," Woods said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"But it's a little different when you've got to tee it up in a tournament. I had a lot of adrenaline going there.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"I had to dial it back a little bit. Those are the internal struggles I haven't had for a while."</p>.<p class="bodytext">After narrowly missing with two birdie putts on the opening two holes, Woods made his first birdie of the day on the par-five third, reaching the green in two before two-putting.</p>.<p class="bodytext">A further birdie on the eighth -- when he drained a 20-foot putt -- put him at two under before a botched chip led to a bogey on the ninth.</p>.<p class="bodytext">However Woods came roaring back after the turn, with birdies on the 10th, 13th and 14th to move to four under before a bogey on 16 halted his momentum.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Woods said he had paid a mental tribute to all those who had enabled him to return to the sport he once dominated before he teed off on Thursday.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"I was very thankful this morning," he said. "I was in my head thanking all the people that have really helped me and gave me a chance to come back and play this round again.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"There were a lot of people that were instrumental in my life -- friends, outside people I've never met before, obviously my surgeon -- a lot of people. I tried to make sure in my head I thanked every one of them."</p>.<p class="bodytext">Woods also revealed the support he had received from fellow professionals during his recovery had helped him return.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"The guys have been great. They're all trying to help me -- they're always texting me to say 'Hey, come on, let's go out and play,'" Woods said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"They really want to help me come back and play."</p>.<p class="bodytext">Woods, whose 79 career PGA Tour wins are three shy of Sam Snead's all-time record, has not won a major title since the 2008 US Open and has not won any event since the 2013 World Golf Championships Bridgestone Invitational.</p>.<p class="bodytext">First-round scores (US unless stated): 66: Tommy Fleetwood (ENG); 67: Rickie Fowler, Matt Kuchar; 68: Kevin Chappell, Justin Rose (ENG), Dustin Johnson, Jordan Spieth; 69: Tiger Woods, Charley Hoffman, Justin Thomas, Francesco Molinari (ITA); 70: Henrik Stenson (SWE), Kevin Kisner; 71: Hideki Matsuyama (JPN), Brooks Koepka; 72: Patrick Reed.</p>