Tiger Woods struggles to five over par on return from injury

Tiger woods has 14 major titles, four shy of Jack Nicklaus's all-time record

Former world number one Tiger Woods called his short game "awful" as he finished five over par in his first competitive round after injury.

The 38-year-old is in 18th and last position at the Hero World Challenge, an event he hosts in Florida.

"It was weird," he said. "My short game was awful. I didn't make anything."

The 14-time major winner needed three chips to get on the green at the par-five 13th and also struggled at the eighth and 17th in round one.

"It was just one of those days where nothing went my way," added the American, who is 11 shots behind leader Jordan Spieth.

"I hit a lot of good shots and I got nothing out of it, obviously. Bad chips, bad putts and a couple of missed shots on the front nine on the wrong side really compounded the problem.

"I hit terrible chips. It certainly is surprising that I could hit chips that poorly. I just flubbed them."

Woods, who has had back surgery, was playing his first competitive round since missing the cut at the USPGA Championship in August.

His round started badly when he sent his first tee shot out of bounds at the invitational event on his home course of Isleworth.

He had three bogeys and one double bogey in his opening nine holes and finished four shots adrift of Billy Horschel and Patrick Reed, who had one-over-par 73s to lie joint second last.

Now ranked 24 in the world, Woods has altered his swing again.

New swing analyst Chris Como is using footage from the American's amateur career to learn how he generated so much speed.

Spieth carded seven birdies and a bogey in his six-under 66 to finish one clear of Sweden's Henrik Stenson and American trio Steve Stricker, Rickie Fowler and Zach Johnson.

Northern Ireland's Graeme McDowell is a shot further back on four under, while England's Justin Rose had a birdie, triple bogey and an eagle in his first three holes on his way to a level-par 72.