Woods off to a flyer

Tiger Woods made a magnificent start to his defence of the Deutsche Bank-SAP Open in Heidelberg today.

That did not look likely when he pushed his opening drive at the 416-yard 10th into rough so deep that his ball had to be pointed out to him even when he was only a few feet from it.

But Woods used all his power to dig it out, the shot just carrying a guarding bunker and running 18 feet past the flag, from where he holed for a birdie three.

The world number one won the event last year, having been 10 shots behind New Zealander Michael Campbell at the halfway stage.

He was also the champion on the St Leon-Rot course three years ago, although this time 16 new holes are in play.

Lee Westwood, also a double winner of the tournament, raised his spirits with a 20-foot birdie putt on the 372-yard 11th to go to one under par as well.

Westwood overtook Woods with a closing 64, one of the rounds of his life, in Hamburg two years ago, but the former European number one has now gone 19 months without a victory and is in severe danger of not qualifying for next month’s US Open.