• Australian Open, Round One

Walking with Tiger

Tiger Woods went bogey-free on day one © Getty Images

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Report: Tiger impresses as Daly storms off

There is a genuine sense of occasion while walking a golf course with a former world No. 1. Excited crowds grow larger with each hole, every person straining to see first-hand the steely gaze of someone who has developed their own winning culture and mystique. It is, it appears, a special experience for those fortunate enough to spend time with a champion - albeit one making a comeback.

Watching Tiger Woods up close during the opening round of the Australian Open, one instantly recognises they are in the presence of a man on a mission. Nothing distracts him. From the aircraft roaring overhead from the nearby Kingsford-Smith Airport, to the continuous click of cameras capturing his every movement, Woods is focused throughout his round.

He certainly makes time to be cordial with his playing partners, sharing conversations between holes with Australians Jason Day and Robert Allenby. The chat, though, seems nothing more than a way to pass the time as he plots his next move. He marches, head down, until it is once again time to return to the business of wowing the following masses.

Two goliath bodyguards, meanwhile, keep the superstar at arm's length from the general public at all times. Yet, he maintains a level of accessibility as he walks the course; a key factor behind his ongoing popularity. Aggressive strokes - such as his recovery from the thick rough on the par-four third - keep the gallery moving at a brisk pace to feel the buzz surrounding a 14-time major winner.

Noticeably on Thursday, though, there was no interaction between Woods and Adam Scott. Playing in the group ahead of Woods, Scott and his caddie Steve Williams did not exchange so much as a casual glance toward the former world No. 1 - at least not in a public space.

Woods was the subject of a recent racial slur from Williams, and stated on Tuesday that he was willing to forgive and forget as he aims to get his career back on track. The two players, though, did share time on the driving range prior to their first round, but kept a great distance away from each other as thousands of prying eyes looked on.

Yet, for all his determination and professionalism, one senses a hint of anxiety about Woods at the moment. Indeed, it is the kind of unease one expects to see from a tour rookie. Where once an impenetrable reverential air encompassed him, there is a tension which appears to creep into his thought process. Woods addresses and re-addresses seemingly straightforward shots, and calls for different clubs after countless practice swings with another.

It is, of course, understandable. The last time Woods won a tournament was at the Australian Masters two years ago. Since then a spate of injuries and personal issues have become part of his life, and it is their discomfort which occasionally sneak through Woods' resilience.

He is, without question, hoping to taste victory in Australia once again. Indeed, Woods' first-round score of 68 indicates he is capable of doing just that. And, should he do so, those fleeting moments of doubt will surely be removed from his game, leaving him free to perhaps enjoy the excitement he creates for his eager followers.

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