Woods makes early progress

Tiger Woods, needing a top four finish to reclaim the world number one spot from Vijay Singh, made the start he was looking for in the Nissan Open at Los Angeles today.

Woods, trying for a title which has eluded him more times than any other in his career, birdied five of his first 10 holes to race to five under par and into a one-stroke lead over England’s Brian Davis, Argentina’s Jose Coceres and Australian Steve Elkington, who beat Colin Montgomerie in a play-off to win the 1995 US PGA championship on the course.

Montgomerie himself was in the first group out and with two holes to go was only level par, but Darren Clarke was going well at three under through 12.

Woods was playing for the first time since his victory in the Buick Invitational three weeks ago and was reunited with his caddie Steve Williams, who is still recovering from injuries suffered in a car racing accident in his native New Zealand and had his left hand bandaged.

Singh was taking the week off and the only player in the world’s top 10 Woods had to face was Canadian left-hander Mike Weir, winner of the event the last two years and runner-up to Phil Mickelson in the Pebble Beach Pro-am last Sunday.

Retief Goosen, the US Open champion and world number five, had entered the tournament, but was disqualified on the eve of it for missing his tee-off time in the curtain-raising pro-am.

That is a new rule on the US Tour and it nearly cost England’s Justin Rose a start in the Sony Open in Hawaii last month.

Goosen had been the host of a party for Grey Goose vodka at the course on Tuesday evening and during it said: “I have really really drunk vodka, but I’ve had a few tonight. Somebody is going to have to drive me home.”

In a press release he had also stated: “I am pleased to have the brand join my team of supporters as I play on tour. This will be a lot of fun.”

Woods played the back nine first, started with two birdies and after dropping a stroke on the 13th had three more in a row from the 15th.

Turning in 32 he was on in two at the 503-yard first and two-putted to be leader on his own.

This is his 11th attempt to take a tournament which gave him his US Tour debut as a 16-year-old amateur in 1992. He missed the halfway cut then and the following year, but has twice finished second since and is also on an amazing run of 135 consecutive US Tour events without missing a cut.

Davis, winner of the US Tour qualifying school at the end of last year, kicked off with a glorious long-iron to six feet for an eagle at the first and then birdied the fifth and sixth.

Clarke, sixth at Pebble Beach and looking forward to a return next week to the Accenture world match play he won in 2000, turned in 35 and then birdied the first and third.

Montgomerie is playing despite not having qualified for next week and was one under after 15 holes, but then drove into sand on the seventh and failed to rescue his par.

Ian Poulter stood level par after eight, playing partner David Howell one over and Lee Westwood two over after nine, having double-bogeyed the eighth and bogeyed the ninth.

Justin Rose, Paul Casey, Luke Donald, Graeme McDowell and Greg Owen - third last week - were among the later starters.