Tiger Woods laid down an early marker at the JBWere Masters as he fired a 66 to take a share of the lead after the first round.
World number one shares first-round lead after 66
Tiger Woods laid down an early marker at the JBWere Masters in Melbourne as he fired a six-under-par 66 to take a share of the lead after the first round.
Making his first competitive appearance in Australia for some 11 years, the world number one was followed by huge galleries at the Kingston Heath Golf Club as organisers were vindicated for their decision to offer him a reported $3million appearance fee.
In total some 21,356 fans turned up on the opening day with most attempting to follow Woods during his opening round.
The American did not disappoint and made seven birdies and just a single bogey during a superbly-controlled display to end the day at the top of the leaderboard alongside home player James Nitties and 21-year-old South African Branden Grace.
Two more Australians, Doug Holloway and Cameron Percy, are just a shot behind the leaders in a tie for fourth.
Teeing off in the morning, Woods enjoyed the better of the conditions with later starters having to deal with stronger winds.
It showed in the scores with Matthew Goggin the only one to really threaten the leaders, the 35-year-old Tasmanian carding a 68 to join compatriots Greg Chalmers and Peter Nolan in a three-man group at four-under.
Lee Slattery is the best-placed European, the Englishman carding a 69 to join Stuart Appleby and four other Australians at three-under.
But it was Woods making all the headlines as he justified his pre-tournament status as overwhelming favourite for the event.
Indeed, the world number one gave himself a birdie putt at each of his first 17 holes and will perhaps be slightly disappointed he did not shoot even lower.
Hat-trick of birdies
Starting at the tenth, he picked up two shots thanks to birdies on both of the par-fives on his outward nine to turn in 34 before scorching home in 32 which included a hat-trick of birdies at six, seven and eight.
His one blemish came at his closing hole, the 9th, where a wayward drive left ensured he had to settle for a closing bogey.
"We can't believe how soft the greens were today," said Woods.
"I know they're trying to protect them with the heat and the wind that's expected but we were pretty surprised.
"Balls were backing up and that's pretty different around this golf course.
"The wind wasn't really blowing and the greens were soft so we could be pretty aggressive into the greens."
Grace, whose best finish on the European Tour this season was a sixth-placed finish in the South African Open last December, only entered the tournament in a bid to save his European Tour card as he sits down in 149th place on the money-list.
He got himself to seven-under before dropping a shot late in his round for his 66, but was understandably delighted with his efforts.
"I played really solidly today and just really enjoyed it out there," he stated. "My caddy kept me really calm out there which was a huge help.
"It is just nice to be playing in Australia and playing on such an unbelievable course.
"I'm not sure where I have to finish here to keep my status on the European Tour but I think it is about top three on my own, or maybe tied. That was one of my goals coming into the tournament."
