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Tiger Woods opens with 68

By The Sports Xchange

Tiger Woods recovered from a slow start in the tournament he hosts and posted a 3-under-par 68 Thursday to tie for 27th place in the Quicken Loans National in Gainesville, Va.

Woods made bogeys on the first, third and fourth holes, giving rise to concern he was still in the same form that saw him miss the cut in the U.S. Open and the British Open this summer.

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However, he was bogey-free the rest of his round at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club and made six birdies. After making the turn, Woods birdied each of the first four holes on the back nine.

South Africa's Retief Goosen and Japan's Ryo Ishikawa share the opening-round lead at 8-under 63.

Justin Leonard, Kevin Chappell and South Africa's Ernie Els are tied for third at 64. Jeff Overton, Mark Hubbard, Steve Wheatcroft and England's Andy Sullivan share sixth place at 65.

Eight players, including defending champion Justin Rose of England, are tied for 10th at 66.

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Ishikawa's round was highlighted by a hole-in-one on the 178-yard fourth hole. His tee shot hit the fringe at the back of the sloping green, then rolled down the hill and into the cup.

His bogey-free round ended on a roll, too, as Ishikawa birdied each of the final five holes.

An 11-time winner on the Japanese tour, Ishikawa is looking for his first win on the PGA Tour. He has never finished higher than 20th in a major event.

Goosen made four birdies on both the front nine and the back nine in a bogey-free round. He birdied all three of the course's par-5 holes.

The 2001 and 2004 U.S. Open champion, Goosen hasn't won in the United States since capturing the 2009 Transitions Championship in Palm Harbor, Fla. He tied for 20th at the British Open earlier this month.

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