Tiger sounds warning bells with birdie flourish

Tiger Woods sent an ominous shiver through his rivals as he reeled off a birdie-laden opening to the Australian Masters on Thursday.

The incomparable World No 1 sank seven birdies before he stuttered to a last-hole bogey to finish with a six-under 66 and share the tournament lead with young South African Branden Grace and Australian James Nitties.

The 14-time major champion was closing in on the Kingston Heath course record of eight-under 64 at seven-under coming to the last hole, only to pull his tee shot into the fairway rough and go on to make a bogey five.

Yet in his first tournament round in Australia for 11 years, the 33-year-old American golfing wonder underlined how hard he will be to beat for Sunday's golden jacket and his 93rd title.

"I felt pretty good today. I hit the ball pretty decent," said Woods, who was reportedly paid $3 million to come and play in Melbourne.

"More than anything, I had really good speed on the greens, but I didn't really make a lot of putts because I didn't hit my irons that close."

Drawing unprecedented crowds, Woods, starting off at the 10th hole, was two under at the turn but exploded with four birdies in five holes in his homeward nine to make his rivals feel squeamish.

Woods said the conditions were easier than expected.

"One, the wind wasn't really blowing. Two, the greens were soft, so we could be pretty aggressive and hit it into the greens," Woods said.

One bookmaker has framed a market on Woods's total score for the tournament, making 22-24 under tally the favourite.

Woods was a little critical of soft greens which he said made a couple of putts slow.

"We can't believe how soft the greens were today," he said. "I know they're trying to
protect them with the heat and wind expected, but we were pretty surprised.

"Into the wind balls were backing up, so that's certainly very different around this golf course."

Woods claimed his first birdie at the 525-metre par five 12th where he came out of a greenside bunker to within three metres of the pin and holed the putt.

He missed an eagle putt at the 14th and tapped in for a birdie four to reach the turn at two under.

Woods began his homeward journey by slamming a 200 metre-long iron to the front of the first green and missed another eagle putt by centimetres to pick up his third shot in 10 holes.

He then went on a run of four birdies in five holes before his final hole hiccup.

Grace, a 21-year-old South African on his second visit to Australia, carded eight birdies and two bogeys in his 66 to share top billing with Woods.

"I played really solidly out today and my caddy kept me really calm which was a huge help," Grace said.

"I was seven under with two holes to go and had a bogey on 17 and I was unlucky on 18 because my shot was inches from the hole."

Nitties, 27, had an unblemished round of four birdies and an eagle.

The Australian, coming off a maiden season on the US PGA Tour in which he earned 931,000 US dollars and enough to keep his card for next year, said the chance to play alongside Woods this weekend would be a lifelong memory.

"Just to actually contend against him is a good goal for me," he said.

New Zealander Doug Holloway and Australian Cameron Percy were a shot off the pace at 67.

Of the main Australian contenders, 2006 US Open champion Geoff Ogilvy had a par 72 after four birdies and two bogeys, while Michael Sim fired a two-under 70 and defending champion Rod Pampling had a one-under 71.