It looks almost certain that Ireland's Richard Coughlan will have to return to the US PGA Tour school, after failing to shoot the commanding opening round he needed at the National Car Rental Classic at the Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida yesterday.

Coughlan, who needs a top-10 finish to break into the top 125 Tour players and retain his card, could only manage a one-over-par 73 in the first round.

Leader Duffy Waldorf, meanwhile, scorched the course with a nine-under 63, effectively leaving Coughlan with the unlikely target of a similarly low round tomorrow to keep him in any kind of contention. Waldorf's closest pursuers are Tiger Woods, who along with Sweden's Jesper Parnevik, shot a six-under-par 66.

Waldorf birdied the first four holes, and 10 of the first 16, in a round which featured two putts of over 30 ft, a chipin of 40 ft and a couple of up-and-downs on the par fives for birdies. The only blip was a closing bogey on the 18th.

"It was fun to play," he admitted afterwards. "I don't know if anyone else was having fun but I thought it was."