The limp was gone and the sort of exuberance that we have come to expect from Tiger Woods was back Thursday.

Woods made his return to the PGA Tour after a three-month layoff with a vengeance that was good to see during the first round of the Bridgestone Invitational in Akron, Ohio. Woods shot a two-under par to tie for 18th after converting a couple of incredible shots.

It wasn’t a blazing performance by any means, but for a man who we last watched hobble off the course after just nine holes at The Players on May 12 with knee and Achilles tendon injuries, it was something of a victory for him just to feel healthy again.

“It feels great,” Woods said to reporters afterward. “As anybody who’s been off and who’s been injured, first time back it’s a little nervous to see what happens. But my practice sessions were good, so there’s no reason why I should be worried out there. I went out there and let it go, let it rip and see what happens.”

As irony would have it, Woods 68 is six strokes off the lead of Adam Scott, who has hired Woods' recently fired caddie Steve Williams. It likely won’t be lost on most observers that Woods has won the Bridgestone six times and has a won a total of seven at Firestone with Williams on the bag, should Scott manage to hold on.

But we all know it was just the first round and it is just six strokes — hardly insurmountable for the old Woods.

Contact Terrance Harris at terrancefharris@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter @Terranceharris

(Photo: Getty Images)