TIGER WOODS RETIRES AFTER ONLY 11 HOLES

 AT TORREY PINES

 SAN DIEGO -- Tiger Woods walked off the course after 11 holes Thursday at the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines because of tightness in his lower back that he attributed to a fog delay  (CBS Sports.com reports).
It was his third consecutive US PGA Tour event that he missed the cut or withdrew, and the sixth time since 2010 that he withdrew because of injury.
"I was ready to go," Woods said. "I had a good warm-up session the first time around. Then we stood out here and I got cold, and everything started deactivating again. And it's frustrating that I just can't stay activated. That's just kind of the way it is."
The scene is becoming familiar. Billy Horschel noticed some discomfort with Woods early in the round. Before long, Woods was reaching for his lower back, and the grimace became more pronounced. 
On their 10th hole -- the par-5 first on the North Course at Torrey Pines -- Horschel picked up the tee for Woods and took the ball out of the cup for him when Woods made birdie.
Woods hit a safe shot to the middle of the green on the par-3 third hole. When it was his turn to play, he had caddie Joe LaCava pick up his ball marker. Woods waited for Horschel and Rickie Fowler to finish before shaking their hands, getting into a cart and driving to his car.
"It's tough to see a guy I look up to, a guy I consider a friend, to have issues with spasms," Horschel said. "It's tough to see him go, but he was in quite a bit of pain."
Nicholas Thompson had an 8-under 64 on the North Course and had a one-shot lead over Michael Thompson when play was suspended by darkness. Brooks Koepka, coming off his victory last week in the Phoenix Open, had a 66 on the North. The best score on the tougher South Course belonged to Jhonnatan Vegas, who shot 67.
Dustin Johnson, playing for the first time since his six-month leave for "personal challenges," holed out for eagle on No. 4 on the South Course as his lone highlight. He had five bogeys and was 2 over with one hole remaining.
But this day was all about Woods, which used to be typical at Torrey Pines because he has won the tournament seven times. Thursday was different.
Woods was 2-over par through 11 holes and in a tie for 130th when he withdrew.
He will fall to his worst world ranking since before he won his first US PGA Tour event as a 20-year-old in 1996, and he most likely will not qualify for a World Golf Championship for only the second time in his career.
Woods is not expected to play again until the Honda Classic in three weeks. Doral is the following week. He did not indicate earlier in the week that he would add tournaments to his schedule ahead of the Masters, which is April 9-12.
The front nine at Torrey Pines was more of the same kind of golf he showed in the Phoenix Open last week, when he missed the cut by 12 shots with a short game that was shocking. On his first hole, the par-4 10th, Woods short-sided himself right of the green and he bladed his chip some 35 feet beyond the hole for a bogey.
He was in trouble again on the next hole, facing the same chip, and this time struck it perfectly. He chipped in to save par.
From there, it was a mixed bag of poor tee shots (he hit only one fairway) and poor iron shots. His tee shot on the par-3 12th wound up on a front tee box at the 13th hole. He missed the green long and right from the 13th fairway.
Woods made a 6-foot birdie on the 16th and he made birdie on the par-5 first hole. The last hole he completed was the most telling.
Horschel and Woods were in the right rough, about 70 yards short of the green. Horschel hit to about 12 feet on the collar of the green behind the hole. Woods went about a yard from a tee box on the next hole, the shot sailing over the heads of the gallery and down a slope. From there, he duffed his flop shot halfway up the hill, hit the next one too hard about 15 feet past the cup and two-putted for double bogey.
Ian Poulter had a 67 to be tied fifth. Martin Laird is T11 with a 68.
Luke Donald had a 69 to be T18. Russell Knox is back in T67 position with a 72. 
FIRST ROUND LEADERBOARD
Par 72
64 Nicholas Thompson
65 Michael Thompson
66 Brooks Koepka, Cameron Tringale

SELECTED SCORES
67 Ian Poulter (T5)
68 Martin Laird (T11)
69 Luke Donald (T18)
72 Russell Knox (T67)

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