MARANA, Ariz. — Tiger Woods was running out of holes, but not hope.
He had never fallen three holes behind and come back to win in match play as a professional, and his predicament looked particularly dire on Wednesday when he took a penalty drop in the desert to lose another hole against J.B. Holmes with five to play.
What followed was a charge that had Woods pumping his fists and Holmes shaking his head.
“You’re playing the best player in the world, 3 up with five to play,” Holmes said. “I just said, ‘Don’t do anything stupid. Make him beat you.’ And he did. What do you do?”
Woods won four consecutive holes with three birdies and a 35-footer for eagle to produce another stunning rally in the desert, this one allowing him to escape in the first round of the Accenture Match Play Championship.
The last time Woods played, he shot 31 on the back nine of the Dubai Desert Classic to rally from a four-shot deficit to win. In the high desert north of Tucson, he played the back nine in 30 for a 1-up victory.
“For some reason, momentum just goes your way,” Woods said. “You just get on a run.”
Fourth-seeded Ernie Els made a run to the airport, losing in the first round for the fourth straight time at this World Golf Championship. He shot 40 on the front nine to fall 6-down, and suffered his worst defeat in 15 matches, 6 and 5 to Jonathan Byrd.
