In His Return, Woods Is Four Behind

Tiger Woods returned after a five-week break from the PGA Tour and found that some things never change. In the land of Disney, players have to shoot low scores to be in the lead.

He wasn’t among them.

“For my first tournament back in a while, to be able to shoot a halfway decent score is not bad,” Woods said Thursday after his 69 in the National Car Rental Classic at Lake Buena Vista, Fla.

Five players had a share of the lead at seven-under-par 65, most of them with something at stake.

Stewart Cink, Steve Lowery and Scott McCarron are trying to nail down their spots in the $5-million Tour Championship, while Shaun Micheel, at No. 145 on the money list, is trying to keep his PGA card.

The other 65 belonged to Len Mattiace, who has done well two of the past four years at this tournament but has still not won on the PGA Tour.

“I definitely feel like I’m ready to go,” Mattiace said.

PGA champion David Toms, Vijay Singh and Mike Weir of Canada were among seven players who posted 66s on two courses located across the street from the Magic Kingdom. Davis Love III, Robert Allenby and Bernhard Langer were another stroke back.

Woods fell back with a bogey on No. 9 and a double bogey on 18.