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BETHESDA, Md. Kirk Gibson Jersey . - Tiger Woods was back on the PGA Tour for the first time in more than three months Thursday and said he felt "fantastic." He was talking about his back, not his game. One day into his most recent return from injury, thats what mattered to him. Woods opened with two straight bogeys, made five more bogeys in a seven-hole stretch around the turn at tough Congressional and finally found his groove late in the opening round of the Quicken Loans National for a 3-over 74. Woods was tied for 83rd — only 19 players had a higher score — and he will have to score better Friday if he wants to avoid missing the cut for the first time in two years. "I made so many little mistakes," Woods said. "So I played a lot better than the score indicated." Congressional had a lot to do with that. Two weeks after a U.S. Open that had no rough, Congressional made it feel like one. Any shot just off the fairway was buried, making it difficult for even the powerful players to reach the green on some of the longer par 4s. Greg Chalmers finished with three straight birdies for a 66 and a one-shot lead over Ricky Barnes and Freddie Jacobson. Defending champion Bill Haas, Patrick Reed, U.S. Open runner-up Erik Compton and Tyrone Van Aswegen shot 68. Compton birdied his last four holes. "I didnt think it was easy at all," Chalmers said. "I played really well, and I think anybody who plays really well can shoot a low score. You just have to be coming out of the fairway, and I didnt that the majority of the time today." Only 26 players in the 120-man field broke par. This day, however, was all about Woods. He has been golfs biggest draw since he turned pro in 1996 and accumulated 79 wins on the PGA Tour and 14 majors. He won the last two times he played Congressional, in 2009 and 2012. Even with an early start, the gallery lined the entire left side of the 218-yard 10th hole, with hundreds of others watching from the patio and veranda of the famed clubhouse at Congressional. Two holes into Woods opening round, they had reason to ask: We waited three months for this? But it wasnt just Woods. He played with Jason Day and Jordan Spieth, and that trio of top-10 players combined for six bogeys in two holes. All three of them were in the fairway on the same hole one time the entire round — on No. 11, the hardest at Congressional, and only because Days tee shot ricocheted off a tree. Day had a 73, while Spieth shot 74. "It was cool playing the first one back," Spieth said. "I love playing alongside Jason, as well. We are all rooting for each other, and thats a good feeling. It was hard to root for each other because it just looked like the lid was closed on the hole. But once we all started hitting a couple fairways, it got better at the end." Mike Weir of Brights Grove, Ont., the lone Canadian in the field, also opened at 3 over. Woods looked about the same as he has all year. He gave away shots with his short game, with some ordinary chips and not making as many putts as he once did. On his second hole, No. 11, he had a 50-foot putt from the fringe that came up 18 feet short of the hole. He missed consecutive 6-foot putts — one for birdie, one for par. He did most of the damage to his card around the turn, failing to get up-and-down for par on the 15th, 17th and 18th holes, hitting a poor chip from the side of a bunker on the long par-3 second, pulling a pitching wedge into a bunker on No. 3 and missing a 5-foot putt. That put him at 6 over for the round. At the time, Day was 4 over and Spieth was 5 over. "We were all kind of looking to break 80," Woods said. "It was a bit of a fight today for all of us, but we all hung in there." Woods found some rhythm from there, hitting an approach from 196 yards on the 467-yard fourth hole to 3 feet, and ending with short birdie putts on the par-3 seventh and short par-4 eighth by wisely using the slopes in the greens to feed it close to the hole. More telling was his final hole. He thought he had a chance to end his round with a 35-foot birdie putt, and as it broke just right of the cup, he quickly dropped to a crouch and then rose up to go mark his ball. That was the best evidence there was no problem with his back. "The backs great," Woods said. "I had no issues at all — no twinges, no nothing. It felt fantastic. Thats one of the reasons why I let go on those tee shots. I hit it pretty hard out there." Woods last played at Doral on March 9, when he closed with a 78 while coping with pain in his lower back. He had microdiscectomy surgery March 31, causing him to miss the Masters and U.S. Open. His return this soon was a surprise, and Woods was candid in saying that he might not have played if the Quicken Loans National did not benefit his foundations work with children. He also made it clear he was not risking further injury by playing now. The only issue Thursday was rust. "We saw what happened when he found his rhythm," Spieth said, alluding to Woods making three birdies over his last six holes, and missing only one green. Maury Wills Jersey . These days, just about anyone can get a taste of the friendship that has blossomed between All-Star Kevin Durant and Oklahoma City Thunder teammate James Harden, most famous in the past two weeks or so for the elbow to the head he took from the Los Angeles Lakers Metta World Peace. Mike Piazza Jersey . -- Conor Casey scored two goals, his first of the season, as the Philadelphia Union beat Chivas USA 3-0 on Saturday night. http://www.ladodgersprostore.us/Corey-Seager-dodgers-jersey/ . -- Detroit Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh says he isnt going to change what he does on the field.CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Panthers coach Ron Rivera still isnt sure wholl protect quarterback Cam Newtons blindside this season. But he doesnt seem overly worried. The Panthers have been searching for a replacement for longtime left tackle Jordan Gross, who retired earlier this off-season. Byron Bell, last years starting right tackle, and Nate Chandler, a converted defensive tackle, have been working as the starting tackles during OTAs. Theyve been flip-flopping from left to right tackle, depending on the day. Neither has played left tackle before in the NFL. Rivera said veteran Garry Williams, who is coming off a knee injury, could also figure into the mix once healthy. "Weve not decided on a lot of positions yet," Rivera said. "The biggest thing we have right now is competition and guys working. ... Well see how we are once we get into training camp." Newton hasnt participated in OTAs except to throw on the side. He said he could be ready for minicamp next week, but at the very least should be completely healthy when training camp begins July 24. "Come game time, its no doubt in my mind that every single person will be ready to go. That is what OTAs and minicamp are designed for -- to get these guys prepared, to get myself prepared," Newton said. "When that ball is snapped I have full confidence in Nate Chandler and Byron Bell that they will get the job done." While many teams invest millions in protecting their quarterbacks blindside, the Panthers seem to be taking a chance with lower-priced players who havent played the position. Bell and Chandler will make a combined $2.6 million this season. Both players insist they dont have a preference on which position they play. "Were both getting an equal opportunity to win a job, which is nice," Chandler said. Fernando Valenzuela Jersey. Said Bell: "I really dont care. Either position, wherever coach sees being the best fit for either one of us is fine. Im just trying to win football games. If that means left tackle, right tackle or on the bench, wherever the team needs me is fine." Filling Gross shoes wont be easy. A three-time Pro Bowl selection, Gross started 167 games during his 10 seasons with the Panthers and was a member of the Super Bowl team as a rookie in 2003. The 6-foot-4, 315-pound Chandler is an intriguing story. He was signed as an undrafted free agent in 2012 out of UCLA. He started his career with the Bruins as an offensive lineman, but later moved to tight end as a sophomore and then to defensive tackle for his final two seasons. When he arrived in Carolina he saw spot duty at defensive tackle a rookie, playing in 10 games with five tackles in 2012. But coaches thought with Chandlers combination of quickness and size he might be more valuable on the offensive line, so they moved him there last year in training camp. Chandler started eight games in 2013 -- six at right guard and two at right tackle -- due to injuries. Bell was also undrafted. He came out of New Mexico in 2011 and was thrust in the mix as a rookie. Hes started 41 games over the past three seasons for Carolina -- all but one of those at right tackle. "Im left handed, so Ill feel comfortable over there," said Bell, who started three years at left tackle at New Mexico. "But if it is right tackle, Im certainly fine over there. "The big thing is we as an offensive line have to do is go in with the mindset that we have to keep No. 1 (Newton) upright. And if you have a bad play, you have to forget about and move on the next one because that (pass rusher) will be coming again." ' ' '