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Former World No. 1 Tiger Woods got off to a slow start bogeying the first two holes but still finished with a 69 at the British Open.

After missing the cut at the Quicken Loans National held in Bethesda, Maryland, Woods said that he was very encouraged with his outcome. That was his first golf tournament after his surgery to repair a pinch nerve located in his back last March.

The 14-time majors' champion Woods missed the Masters and the U.S. Open at Pinehurst. The British Open is his first major tournament this year.

Woods won this same course of Royal Liverpool in Hoylake eight years ago and said that the course is a little bit softer compared to the dry course in 2006.

His first two shots of the day got himself in one of the pot bunkers which led to a bogey. On the No. 2 hole, Woods shot a long putt to about six feet past the hole and then missed the hole again as he tried to sink the ball back which led to another bogey.

Woods got himself into the groove when he birdied a 30-foot putt on the 11^th hole. He eventually shot two more birdies in the next two holes then bogeyed on the 14^th.

He came back on the 15^th and 16^th hole with a couple of birdies finishing with a 3-under 69 just three shots behind leader two-time majors' champion Rory McIlroy.

Woods felt good about how he played the first round and says that "I'm only getting better."

He also said that he felt good about fighting back into the championship after a rough start.

McIlroy had a fantastic start as he took advantage of the prime conditions of the course with a light breeze and a mild, sunny day, finishing with a 6-under 66.

Tagsbritish open, Hoylake, Rory McIlroy, golf, tiger woods