Woods went out with the early starters and carded a 16-over-par 86 at Lost Lake Golf Club, which was one of the four pre-qualifying sites.
With preferred lies in effect and players using carts, Woods was four over par through his first five holes before his round came undone with a disastrous 12 at the par-four seventh hole.
But Woods calmly responded with a string of six pars before a double-bogey at the par-three 14th that he followed with two consecutive bogeys before closing his round with a pair of pars.
Woods played alongside Olin Browne Jr. - son of three-time PGA Tour winner Olin Browne - who carded a two-over-par 72.
The top five scores and ties from each of the pre-qualifying sites advance to Monday's qualifier from where the top four golfers advance to the Cognizant Classic, where the winner will get $1.62 million from the event's $9 million purse.