LAKE FOREST, Ill.

For all the improvements over the years in golf, from fitness to technology to better coaching, golf still comes down to makes the most putts. That explains why Brandt Snedeker was thrilled with his 8-under 63 in the BMW Championship.

And it explains why Tiger Woods was so perturbed with a 66.

Snedeker ran off seven straight birdies — three of them from just off the green — and felt so good that his final birdie in that streak from 18 feet looked like a tapin. He wound up with a oneshot lead over Zach Johnson at Conway Farms.

Woods, meanwhile, was still bothered by missing three short putts on his back nine that ruined and otherwise good day in blustery conditions. He missed a pair of 3- footers for par (both of them turned into three-putt bogeys) and a 5-foot birdie putt.

Here are five things worth noting going into today’s second round:

1. SNEDEKER ON A ROLL: Brandt Snedeker was one of the hottest players in golf at the start of the year before an old rib injury returned. He was runner-up in consecutive weeks to Woods (Torrey Pines) and Phil Mickelson (Phoenix) before winning Pebble Beach.

Maybe he’s on the start of another roll. He certainly was on the golf course by running off seven straight birdies, starting at No. 13 and ending at No. 1.

Everything was going in — a 15-foot putt from the fringe on the 13th, another 15-footer on the next hole when he used the blade of his sand wedge to bump the ball out of the short rough, and a 40-footer from the fringe on the 17th stood out to him.

2. TRACKING TIGER: Woods opened with a 66, matching his lowest opening round on the PGA Tour this year. The other two times he shot 66 in the first round, he went on to win at Doral and Firestone. This one left him frustrated because of the three missed putts from short range over his last five holes.

He at least managed the low score in his group of the 1-2-3 players from the FedEx Cup standings. Deutsche Bank Championship winner Henrik Stenson shot a 72, while Barclays winner Adam Scott had a 67.

3. CONWAY FARMS: Just under half the field shot over par. The average score was 71.3, meaning Conway Farms acquitted itself just fine.

4. PHIL MICKELSON: Phil Mickelson stood on the first tee Thursday afternoon having never seen Conway Farms. He did not arrive until Wednesday night, excused from the pro-am because of personal reasons.

Mickelson chose not to share those reasons. When asked if it was a family matter, he said, “Everything is fine. I’m here now, I’m ready to play.

5. MOVING UP, MOVING DOWN: The top 30 players in the FedEx Cup advance to the Tour Championship, and it’s not looking good for Rory McIlroy and Lee Westwood. McIlroy is at No. 41 and needs to finish about seventh. He made double bogey on his second hole — his ninth double bogey of the FedEx Cup playoffs — and then made a triple bogey after making the turn on his way to a 77.

Westwood is ailing, massaging his back and ribs on his way to an 80. He is No. 30 and mostly likely will be bumped.

There’s still a long way to go, but John Merrick and Nick Watney got off to good starts with 67s. Both are outside the top 30.