Woods made the ideal start to his opening round with a birdie on his first hole, but the 15-time major winner could only register one more and six bogeys in a disappointing 74.
That left Woods nine shots behind clubhouse leaders Patrick Cantlay and Rory McIlroy.
Difficulties with Pinehurst's 'turtleback' greens had dominated the agenda in the build-up to the year's third major, with Woods admitting he had putted off several of them in practice.
"It's going to be a great test and a great war of attrition this week," Woods said in his pre-event press conference.
"It's going to be a lot of fun for all of us."
It certainly looked like fun when Woods began with a birdie on the par-5 10th.
The 48-year-old followed that with five pars before dropping a shot on the 16th and three-putting the next.
Woods then started the front nine with three bogeys in the first four holes and reached the par-5 fifth in two to set up his second birdie of the day before dropping another shot on the eighth.
Woods made a record 24th consecutive cut in April's Masters before carding a third round of 82, his worst score at Augusta National, on his way to finishing last of the 60 players to make the weekend.
He then missed the cut in the US PGA Championship in May and needed an invite from the USGA to make it to Pinehurst after his exemption for winning the 2019 Masters expired.
"I'm physically getting better as the year has gone on," Woods said.
"I just haven't been able to play as much because I just don't want to hurt myself pre, then I won't be able to play in the major championships.
"It's pick your poison, right? Play a lot with the potential of not playing, or not playing and fight being not as sharp."
Cantlay carded six birdies in a five-under-par 65 to match the first-round score of Martin Kaymer on his way to a runaway victory here in 2014.
McIlroy joined him at the top of the leaderboard with his fifth birdie at the last in a bogey-free start to his latest quest for an elusive fifth major, a decade after winning his fourth.
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