• Bridgestone Invitational, Round One

Woods makes awful start to Bridgestone defence

Tiger Woods bogeyed four of his first nine holes © Getty Images

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Bridgestone Invitational leaderboard

Tiger Woods produced his worst front nine score at the Firestone Country Club as nothing went right for the world No. 1 in the first round of the WGC Bridgestone Invitational on Thursday.

Woods, sporting a new goatee beard, has won the tournament seven times in his career, three times under its current Bridgestone sponsor. However, he is left with an enormous battle to hold on to his world No. 1 status after an exceptionally poor start to the defence of his title left him on four-over-par.

The under-pressure American carded four bogeys on the front nine, pencilling a score of 38 - his career worst on this course - as he hit the turn. A poor putt at the ninth was then followed by another at the 11th, and things could have been even worse for Woods but for two or three excellent recovery shots from thick rough. He still could not avoid his sixth bogey of the day at 14 though, and the world's top golfer cut a very disgruntled figure as he headed back to the clubhouse tied for 70th place on the leaderboard.

Leading the competition by two shots is Woods' compatriot Bubba Watson, who strung together four consecutive birdies after the turn to finish round one with a six-under 64. Watson played some steady golf on the front nine, picking up two birdies, but he accelerated at the 11th, excelling on the par-fours as he stole a march on his closest rivals.

Watson will want to keep a close eye on Graeme McDowell, who finished extremely strongly with consecutive birdies at 15, 16, 17 and 18 to storm into a share of second place. The reigning US Open champion found his groove on the final holes, and he can still make big improvements in the forthcoming rounds after reaching only two thirds of greens in regulation.

Americans Phil Mickelson and Kenny Perry, as well as Australian Adam Scott, are also positioned dangerously alongside McDowell in second place, carding four-under 66s to apply pressure to Watson at the top of the leaderboard. With Woods struggling, a second-placed finish for Mickelson would be enough to end the world No. 1's 270-week reign at the top of the world rankings.

Mickelson was typically long off the tee as he chalked up five birdies by the turn, but back-to-back bogeys at 14 and 15 spoiled what promised to be an exceptional round of golf. Perry and Scott were far more consistent, producing flawless rounds to move two behind the leader.

A clutch of players are a stroke further back on three-under, while Northern Ireland starlet Rory McIlroy will feel he has given himself a solid foundation upon which to build after he finished with a solid two-under 68. McIlroy drove well and picked up four birdies in his first 10 holes, but bogeys at 11 and 13 cost him an even better start to the competition.

Rory McIlroy was steady for a two-under 68 © Getty Images

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Paul Casey and Padraig Harrington, both desperate to force their way into the automatic Ryder Cup spots, are reasonably well positioned after they finished under par on Thursday. Casey produced an unspectacular round that included just two birdies to begin Friday's play on two-under, while Harrington birdied 17 to card a one-under 69.

Sergio Garcia is another looking to earn Colin Montgomerie's trust ahead of October's clash at Celtic Manor, and he smiled his way round the Firestone Country Club, but he will secretly be rueing a double-bogey at the par-four ninth, which ruined what had threatened to be a profitable round. The Spaniard was two-under when he met trouble at the ninth, but he still finished the day on even par to sit level with Ross Fisher. The Englishman, who won the Irish Open last week, mixed three birdies with as many bogeys in Ohio to join compatriot Luke Donald on even par.

Lee Westwood, who like Mickelson has the chance to become world No. 1 this week, seemed to suffer from the negative vibe of playing partner Woods. Westwood reached the turn at two-over after three bogeys, and he finished with a one-over 71 after a mini-recovery. Justin Rose also fell back to one-under after a spluttering day that saw him double-bogey the ninth and bogey the last to slide down the pecking order.

Ian Poulter had little to smile about as he drove poorly and putted just as badly in a round of 72 that leaves him on two-over for the tournament. Poulter's round never got going as bogeys hampered him at three, nine, 13 and 17, and he has plenty of work to do if he is going to make any impact over the weekend.

Elsewhere, Oliver Wilson will begin the second round alongside Vijay Singh and Ross McGowan on one-over, Simon Dyson is a stroke further back, while Simon Khan and David Horsey endured poor rounds to fall back to three-over.

And there was no sign of more Stuart Appleby magic after his 59 at the Greenbrier Classic. The Australian was a shadow of the man who won last week as he finished on four-over.

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