US Masters: Someone will always find a way. No matter how difficult a course, how slick its greens, someone will always find a way to conquer.

Yesterday, on a course surgically enhanced to inflict pain and discomfort, Vijay Singh - the world's number two golfer, but without a tournament win in nine months - discovered an antidote to Augusta National's torment.

For someone whose Achilles' heel this season has been his driving (he was ranked 138th in driving accuracy going into the Masters), it was an irony of ironies that Singh should select a course with the most difficult challenges of all to impose his will.

Two hours before his scheduled tee-time, the Fijian could be seen on the practice putting green with a contraption that looked for all the world as if it belonged in a windscreen repair shop, rather than at the citadel of golf. It seemed like the actions of a desperate man; a player who had lost all feel with the putter, but frantic for a cure.

It worked: Singh hit 14 greens in regulation and took just 27 putts on his way to a five-under-par 67 that left him atop the leaderboard.

On a beautiful day, with only the hint of a breeze, the course - as expected - asked tough questions. Many players failed to find the answers to the examination and were bitten; but not all. Some others also showed an ability to negotiate a route around a course set up to test and tease. Rocco Mediate signed for a 68, and Arron Oberholser a 69, while South Africans Retief Goosen and Tim Clark posted rounds of 70.

For Tiger Woods, it was a frustrating, up-and-down day. His even par 72 was anything but straightforward, featuring an eagle two on the 14th - where he holed his eight-iron approach of 163 yards - to a double bogey seven on the 15th, where was forced to lay up after his tee-shot finished in the rough. His lay-up, though, finished in a divot and, giving hope to hackers everywhere, the world's number one proceeded to put it into the pond guarding the green.

Still, Woods - who claimed his fourth green jacket last year, despite opening with a 74 - was upbeat. How do you feel about your chances? The white-toothed grinned reply held a hint of menace.

"Better than I was last year, so I'm in good shape. I just didn't get a whole lot out of today," responded Tiger.

As Padraig Harrington pointed out on the eve of the tournament, this is "a chaser's course", where it is better to be the pursuer than the leader. Woods won't mind doing the chasing, and the fact Singh occupies the lead position heading into the next three rounds will, you feel, only inspire him.

Yesterday, however, Singh was more like his old self.

"I didn't make too many mistakes, didn't struggle with my game at all," he conceded after a bogey-free round that featured five birdies. It included a hat-trick, from the 13th. On the par five 13th, Singh hit a six-iron second shot left of the green, chipped to five feet and made the putt; on the 14th, he holed from 20 feet; and on the 15th, he hit a four-iron second shot approach to the side of the green, chipped to three feet and sank the putt.

Singh, who won in 2000, doesn't know if he is technically a better player compared to when he won his first Masters - but does believe he manages his game better.

"My mis-hits are a lot better and I know when to attack the pins and when not to. Take the 13th. I only had a six-iron in my hand but missed the green left. It wasn't a bad shot. A few years ago I'd probably have gone straight for the pin, and if you miss you're going to finish in the water. It's about playing away from trouble, not to take risks when it is not necessary."

Although Singh has not yet won on the US Tour this season, he has recorded six top-10 finishes in eight outings. After finishing tied-eighth in the Players Championship a fortnight ago, he watched a video of his swing. "I saw a lot of bad things, and found out what I was doing (wrong). I worked really hard last week, tried to fix it, and it's on the way I guess," he said.

Generally, there was agreement among the players that the set-up was tough, but fair. "I think it was a perfect set-up," said Goosen. "I like it tough. We all like to grind out there on every hole. Certainly, that's the way I like it."

While England's David Howell shot a 71 to be the leading European player in the clubhouse, Darren Clarke - who eagled the second hole, holing out from a greenside bunker - was level par after 15 holes.

However, Padraig Harrington started off disastrously. After pulling his opening tee-shot into the trees down the left, and failing to reach the green with his approach, the Dubliner took a bogey five.

Then, on the second, from the centre of the fairway, his fairway wood approach was pushed marginally right of the green to an area trampled by spectators. Attempting to chip over a greenside bunker, he proceeded to put the ball into the trap. He then bladed his third shot across the green, pitched to 25 feet and two-putted for a double bogey.

Three over after two holes, Harrington reached the turn in 40, but steadied the ship somewhat and was three-over after 13 holes.