Golf: Charles Howell fired an eight-under-par 64 to grab the early lead in the opening round of Jack Nicklaus' Memorial Tournament at his Muirfield course in Dublin, Ohio.

It left the young American a shot clear of last week's winner of the Colonial, Kenny Perry, with John Huston on his own in third at six under.

Padraig Harrington, in the first of a three-week stint in the US as he prepares for the US Open, stared well and reached four under par after just seven holes.

But the back nine proved a tougher task and bogeys at 12 and 13 pushed the Dubliner back down to a share of 26th with four holes to play.

Tiger Woods, who won the Memorial for three consecutive years before surrendering his title to Jim Furyk last year, and who hadn't played on the US tour since the Masters, opened well, with six birdies and two bogeys in his opening 16 holes. And he closed it out in style with a birdie at the last for a 67.

This will be Woods' last appearance before the US Open, which starts June 12th at Olympia Fields in suburban Chicago.

Woods, who played the course with Michael Jordan on Tuesday, doesn't think it will necessarily favour the long hitters as much as last year's venue, Bethpage Black.

"It's going to be a heck of a test," he said. "Anybody can win. I think there is going to be a good mixture of guys on top of the board. Olympia has a good mixture of holes.

"You'll see somebody go low early because the opening holes are short, but the closing holes are something else. From the ninth in, you've really got to drive your ball well.

"The greens are not up to speed yet and the rough will probably grow another inch by the time we get there."