AUGUSTA, Ga. — It had been 1,089 days since Tiger Woods played his last round at the Masters.

Woods, who last played at the Masters in 2015 as he battled back problems, called being back at Augusta National “awesome.’’

He didn’t play awesome, however, shooting a 1-over 73 in Thursday’s opening round, which leaves him seven shots behind first-round leader Jordan Spieth.

“I definitely didn’t score as well as I played,” Woods said. “I hit the ball a little better than my score indicated. As of right now, I’m only five [shots] back. This is a very bunched leaderboard and I think by end of the week it’s going to be a very crowded leaderboard.”

Woods’ biggest crime on this day was failing to birdie any of the four par-5s at Augusta National. Traditionally, Woods eats the Augusta par-5s for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Thursday was only the fifth time in 79 career rounds at the Masters that Woods failed to birdie any of the par-5s.

In his Tuesday practice round alongside Phil Mickelson, Woods eagled Nos. 13 and 15.

“I played the par-5s very sloppily today,” Woods said. “That was the difference in the round. If I play half of those [four holes] in 2-under, I’m under par for the day. I had some opportunities to make some birdies and didn’t do it.”

Woods, who tied for fifth in his most recent tournament, the Arnold Palmer Invitational, and was runner-up the week before at the Valspar, began his round the way he has so often at Augusta: pulling his tee shot into the trees to the left of the fairway.

The errant 3-wood silenced the buzz of anticipation from the hundreds of fans crowded some 20 deep around the first tee.

“The people were so excited and into it and I go and pull a 3-wood up the left side,” Woods said. “Not exactly the best start.’’

Woods, who saved par despite the poor tee shot on No. 1, birdied No. 3 to get to 1-under. But he promptly bogeyed Nos. 4 and 5 to fall to 1-over. On the back nine, he made a mess of Nos. 11 and 12, hitting his tee shot into the trees on 11 and into Rae’s Creek on No. 12 to take bogey on both and drop.

Birdies on Nos. 14 and 16 got Woods back to 1-over, where he would finish.

Woods had his fourth back surgery, a spinal fusion procedure, a year ago this month. He entered this Masters having played five PGA Tour events, spanning 18 rounds.

Now he’s trying to win his first major championship since 2008 and his first Masters since 2005.