Tiger in the hunt despite injury

Tiger Woods went through the pain barrier to begin his defence of the American Express world championship at Mount Juliet in County Kilkenny today – and amazingly went to the turn in 32 and shared the lead.

Every movement was an effort for the world number two because of a problem between his shoulder blades – and as well as letting out a yell as he hit off the second tee, he was crumpled up in agony at times.

Yet somehow he managed to give himself chances of nine and 15 feet on the opening two greens, holed them both and then made putts of 15 and 40 feet at the eighth and ninth.

With playing partner Luke Donald bogeying the ninth, the pair were joint top on four under with Sergio Garcia and Australian Nick O’Hern.

Woods was clearly still in trouble as he warmed up but decided to give it a go -and while his opening swing was far from a thing of beauty and obviously hurt him, it went down the middle and past those of Donald and KJ Choi.

Even getting the ball out of the hole after his birdie putt was not easy, and he was carrying his left arm between shots as though it were in a sling. Beside the second tee he closed his eyes, puffed out his cheeks and took some deep breaths.

Woods had played only seven holes in practice and undergone intensive treatment since the trouble started early last week on a flight from New York to his Orlando home.

“I got it sleeping kind of awkwardly. I was really tired and just fell asleep on the plane,” he said.

“Just a couple of rib heads aren’t gliding properly, and it spasmed up and hasn’t been the same since.

“I’m hitting it straighter, but it’s not going as far.”

He is trying for a third successive victory in the event, but a failure to do so would leave him without a stroke play title for the first time since he won his fifth event as a professional in 1996.

Donald began with a 25-footer, then had four successive birdies from the fifth.

World number three Ernie Els and Darren Clarke parred their first eight holes, while Thomas Bjorn and Miguel Angel Jimenez were three under.

Paul McGinley got to the same mark before bogeying the ninth, while Lee Westwood and Padraig Harrington stood one under.