Tracker: Follow Tiger Woods’ BMW Championship first round with shot-by-shot updates

Follow Tiger Woods’ Thursday round at the BMW Championship with shot-by-shot updates from Olympia Fields outside Chicago.

Tiger Woods’ road to a record third FedEx Cup title passes through the suburbs of Chicago this week.

The 15-time major champion is back in action at the BMW Championship, the second of three events in the PGA Tour’s season-ending FedEx Cup Playoffs. The top-70 players on the FedEx Cup standings have advanced to Olympia Fields Country Club with hopes of getting inside the top 30 to qualify for next week’s Tour Championship at Atlanta’s East Lake Golf Club.

Woods tees off at 1:14 p.m. ET alongside Carlos Ortiz and Bubba Watson off the 10th tee. Follow along for shot-by-shot updates of his first round.

BMW Championship: Leaderboard

Hole 18 – Par 4

Tiger finds the short stuff here on the 18th. Birdie here would really crank up the momentum at the turn to the front. Ooh baby this was nice. Tiger sticks this one on the green, pin-high to the right leaving just 15 feet for birdie. Great shot there. This one didn’t have the pace to match the line, missing low and left. Par. Meh. On to the front!

TIGER ON THE DAY: 1 over thru 9.

Hole 17 – Par 4

Fairway. Beautiful. Right down the middle. Needed this one after the bogey. If this approach was a Creed song, it’d be One Last Breath. Tiger’s six feet from the edge of the green as this one just hung on to the dance floor. Gave this one a good roll and keeps it within par range. Other than the bomb on No. 14, the touch and feel seems to be slightly off for the Big Cat today.

TIGER ON THE DAY: 1 over thru 8.

Hole 16 – Par 3

Tiger’s on the green here just barely, leaving 40-plus feet back to the cup for birdie. Nope. Leaves a testy four-footer for par and this one slides right on by. That’s a three-putt bogey and another unfortunate blemish.

TIGER ON THE DAY: 1 over thru 7.

Hole 15 – Par 5

First par 5 of the day for Tiger and he once again finds himself in the left rough. Lays up from there and simply advances this one up the fairway, leaving 110 yards and change to the hole. From there Tiger goes full-Adam Woodard at a wedding: middle of the dance floor. The pin is towards the back, he’ll have outside 30 feet from there. Nope. Left this one low. He’ll have three feet for his par. Paces this one in the cup and just like Jay Z, Tiger’s on to the next one.

TIGER ON THE DAY: Even thru 6.

Hole 14 – Par 4

FORE LEFT! He knew it right away. Double-cross for Tiger here at the 14th. Rough. Started it left and it never went back right. Does really well to keep this one on the green and not let it run off. He’s 28 feet, pin-high (ish) to the left. BANG! (Mike Breen voice). This one legitimately rattled home as Tiger cans the putt and gets back to even.

TIGER ON THE DAY: Even thru 5.

Hole 13 – Par 3

Back-left pin. 160 yards. Same distance Tiger just tugged his approach short and left. Keeps this one on line and is 20 feet long and right of the cup. Won’t be an easy birdie putt, so two-putt par should be just fine from there. Never gave this one a chance, lagging it to two feet and that’s another par.

TIGER ON THE DAY: 1 over thru 4.

Hole 12 – Par 4

Just 377 yards here on the 12th so it’s an iron off the tee for the Big Cat to set himself up. From 165-yards out in the fairway, this ain’t it. Short and left. Tiger struggled all last week from the fairway, and he did it again today early. Not a good sign. Well, this one needs to be closer, too. Left it 6-7 feet away but does well to convert the par putt and avoid another dropped shot.

TIGER ON THE DAY: 1 over thru 3.

Hole 11 – Par 4

Short par 4 here at the 11th, playing just 392 yards. Driver again and the twirl doesn’t match the shot as this one just drifts into the right rough. The rough is THICK this week. Couldn’t control this one and it runs off the back of the green. His chip from off the back doesn’t have enough juice and checks up just off the green. He’s lucky this didn’t come back to his feet. Classic Tiger. Almost holes his fourth to save par but leaves just a tap-in for bogey.

TIGER ON THE DAY: 1 over thru 2.

Hole 10 – Par 4

Here we go. Tiger grabs driver and absolutely striped this one just south of 340 yards. Great, smooth approach here lands short of the pin, inside 10 feet for a birdie putt on his first. Gahhh just missed this one, good roll and that’s a safe, smooth start. Love to see it.

TIGER ON THE DAY: Even thru 1.

Pre-round

Tiger’s range warm-ups look a lot different than mine.