• US PGA Championship, Round One

Tiger Woods makes solid start

Tiger Woods cut a more confident figure on the greens © Getty Images

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Tiger Woods showed some of his old sparkle as he carded a one-under-par 71 in the opening round of the US PGA Championship.

Play was delayed for over three hours on account of a band of fog that had rolled in from Lake Michigan, meaning around half the field were unable to complete their first rounds on Thursday.

Once the players were allowed out on the course Woods wasted no time in proving a point. He played a perfect approach to the first and rolled in a 15-footer for birdie. The world No. 1 birdied the second, got up and down for a par on three and birdied four to secure a share of the lead.

Woods enlisted the help of swing coach Sean Foley this week and it already appears to be paying dividends as he was pretty straight off the tee, but the demons are still bubbling under and he missed a short putt on the fifth for a birdie and bogeyed six.

The swing stood up to the test until the 14th, when he drove into the hazard but he kept it together to escape with a par. A bogey on the tough par-three 16 dropped Woods back to even but he made an excellent birdie on 18 to move under par.

Bubba Watson was as wild as Woods at last week's Bridgestone Invitational, but there was no repeat at Whistling Straits as he hit the ball superbly off the tee and a round of 68, which included six birdies, saw him card a four-under to share the lead with four others.

Francesco Molinari is the other man in the clubhouse at four-under, while Ernie Els, Matt Kuchar and Nick Watney are sitting on that score with holes still to play. Watney is well positioned with seven holes remaining in his opening round.

England's Simon Khan and Northern Irishman Darren Clarke are among those at three under, and Khan has only played seven holes.

Jim Furyk produced a mixed bag but was able to get into the clubhouse at two-under, one behind the group of six at three-under. Jason Day and Charles Howell III are in the clubhouse after shooting 69.

Luke Donald made two birdies and two bogeys in a round of level-par. He is sat alongside fellow Englishman Paul Casey who signed for a 72, despite chipping in on two occasions.

"If you are playing well you can score out there," Donald said. "There were some birdie opportunities out there and I am little bit disappointed not to have taken a little more advantage but you are never out of it with an even-par round."

Casey said: "Scoring was very good considering the way I hit it. I was frustrated with the way I hit it. I had little idea where the ball was going. The power is there and I am releasing it, but I have got to just hit a lot of balls and figure it out."

Padraig Harrington had a tough time on the opening day, as he left a couple of makeable putts above the hole and came home with a three-over 75.

Sergio Garcia cut a sorry figure once again and his hopes of a high finish and forcing himself into the Ryder Cup effectively disappeared with a poor round. The Spaniard started steadily but bogeys on five and six derailed him and he smashed his club into the ground in frustration when bogeying the 11th. He birdied 14, but still carded a 78.

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