WINDERMERE, Fla. -- When so much work goes into one part of a golfer's game, it is understandable that another part is apt to suffer. Case in point: Tiger Woods' short game.

He inexplicably flubbed four chip shots on Thursday during the opening round of the Hero World Challenge. He left another shot in a greenside bunker. Those mistakes help explain a 5-over-par 77 at Isleworth Golf and Country Club.

His focus on the long game with a new instructor, Chris Como, and returning from back issues might explain the short-game woes.

But Woods was making no excuses.

"I have a nice facility in my back yard,'' Woods said. "I can't say it's for lack of practice.''

Woods designed the facility himself. It covers 3.5 acres, allows for shots of up to 150 yards to four different green complexes. There is also a "wedge'' range for shots up to 85 yards.

"I just haven't faced grain this thick,'' he said. "My short game area is very tight. It got a little stickier in the longer grass around the greens and I just hit horrible chips.''