Calmer start for Woods

Tiger Woods enjoyed a more serene start to his round on Wednesday as the Turkish Golf Airlines World Golf Final resumed following an eventful opening day.

Defeats for Woods and world number one Rory McIlroy were overshadowed overnight by reports, which initially surfaced in the local media, that the head of the Turkish Golf Federation, Ahmet Agaoglu, had headbutted a journalist.

Agaoglu has been quoted in several British papers denying he headbutted Unal, saying: "He pushed me and I pushed him back and he fell over."

The alleged incident occurred amid chaotic scenes around the first tee on Tuesday as Woods prepared to face former Masters champion Charl Schwartzel, with journalist Cihat Unal filing a complaint against Agaoglu and claiming his glasses had been broken, according to the Turk National newspaper.

There were noticeably fewer fans and journalists around the first tee on Wednesday as Woods teed off against Ryder Cup team-mate Matt Kuchar, with the 14-time major winner needing to avoid defeat to have any chance of reaching the semi-finals.

Woods will face McIlroy in the final Group One clash, but if both players lose again on Wednesday morning, the game will be rendered meaningless.

McIlroy got off to a good start in his match when four opening pars were enough to open up a three-shot lead on Schwartzel, who bogeyed three of the first four holes. But Woods was two over par after three holes and two shots down on Kuchar, who had birdied the third after two opening pars.

In Group Two, Ryder Cup team-mates Lee Westwood and Justin Rose, who both won on Tuesday, were tied on one under after six holes, while Hunter Mahan and Webb Simpson were two under after five.

McIlroy moved four clear with a birdie at the fifth, but Schwartzel birdied the seventh and ninth to get back to one over and just two down at the turn.

Woods was also just one down on Kuchar after eight holes, while Westwood and Rose - who took a welcome one hour and 40 minutes to complete the front nine - were both two under after 11.