No panic as Tiger Woods battles to even par start

By Steve Keating

AUGUSTA, Georgia (Reuters) - Tigers Woods battled his way to an opening round level par 72 at the U.S. Masters on Thursday to begin his bid for a fifth Green Jacket and a tilt at an unprecedented calendar grand slam.

After starting with 12 pars, Woods endured a rollercoaster finish dropping shots at 13 and 14 before saving his round with a chip-in eagle at the par five 15th that brought a jubilant fist-pump from the world number one and a roar from the crowd.

Woods walked off the sun-kissed Augusta National layout trailing clubhouse co-leaders Briton Justin Rose and South African Trevor Immelman by four shots but there were no signs of panic from Woods.

He traditionally makes a slow start to the year's first major, having been in the top-10 after the first day just once in the past 10 years, while in the last three he has finished the first day in 33rd, 19th and 15th.

In those three years he has finished first, third and second.

"I kept myself in the tournament, I'm right there," Woods told reporters. "With the weather supposed to be getting more difficult as the week goes on, I'm right there.

"You just have to plod along," he added. "It's playing more like a U.S. Open than a Masters.

"The golf course is playing so much more difficult now being longer and it has dried out this week."

Woods was poised to end his run of pars with a birdie at the 13th but his approach raced across the green into a small gully, drawing a furious reaction from the 13-time major winner.

His mood turned darker when he stubbed his third shot and then rolled his fourth 15 feet past the pin, finishing with a two-putt for bogey.

"The second shot was sweet," said Woods. "Landed pin high and skipped it over the back and left myself the hardest pitch you could possibly have on this golf course."

More problems followed at the 14th where he hammered his drive into pine needles and dropped another shot.

But just as his round appeared likely to unravel, the 32-year-old American chipped in for eagle on the 15th to stay in contention.

(Editing by Greg Stutchbury)