Golf:Tiger Woods is top of the leaderboard after the opening round of the Chevron World Challenge in Thousand Oaks, California. It is the first time Woods has been alone at the top of a leaderboard since he won the Australian Masters in 2009.
His round of seven-under par 65 put him one shot clear of both US Open champion Graeme McDowell and Rory McIlroy.
Woods had been on eight under going into the final hole but sent his tee shot into the trees and bogeyed.
McDowell had been at seven under, thanks in large part to an eagle on the par-five 11th, but also bogeyed the 18th to drop back into a tie with playing partner McIlroy.
McDowell did not look like a man playing in his sixth consecutive event as he made the most of ideal company.
"It was just perfect scoring conditions," McDowell said after his round. "The greens here are unbelievable. You just have to get the ball rolling, and if it's on line it's going in."
Although McDowell suffered from jet-lag earlier this week after a hectic tournament run through Spain, Shanghai, Singapore, Hong Kong and Dubai, he flourished after being paired with McIlroy.
"It was fun to play alongside Rory, one of my good mates," he added. "He got off to a good start and I kind of fed off him a little bit. We birdied most holes out there between us."
McIlroy birdied the first three holes and McDowell joined in with birdies of his own at the third, fifth, sixth and eighth. By the time they had completed the back nine and signed their respective cards, the Ryder Cup partners were a collective 11-under for the day based on a best-ball format.
"We just kept making a lot of birdies," said McDowell, who finished second here last year to ignite a 2010 season that featured three European Tour wins and a first major title.
"This is such a relaxed format . . . a good bunch of people, great players and the golf course is wonderful. You couldn't ask for better scoring conditions out there when it's calm."
Asked what another victory would mean to him to cap a golden 2010 campaign, McDowell replied: "It makes Christmas dinner taste a little better if you can finish strong. It's been a long six weeks for me, a lot of travelling."
Although Woods has struggled for form this year while coping with the break-up of his marriage following stunning revelations about his serial philandering, McDowell believes the tournament leader is now close to his best.
"Obviously the host, he's in good form," the Rathmore man said. "He's been looking like he's starting to play well the last couple months since the Ryder Cup, really."
The Irish pair, along with Woods, are well clear of the rest of the field already, with Dustin Johnson and Stewart Cink tied for fourth place on three under, ahead of Luke Donald and Camilo Villegas a further shot back.
Ian Poulter and Jim Furyk are part of a six-way tie for eighth with a level par score.