Tiger Woods fired an opening three-under-par 68 to lie four shots off the pace during the first round of the Nissan Open at the Riviera Club yesterday.

Little known JP Hayes was one shot clear of another surprise, Robin Freeman, after a 64.

Darren Clarke fired a two-over 73, but he will be disappointed after dropping two shots in the last two holes.

Clarke's stablemate Lee Westwood was one shot better off on 72.

Nick Faldo, whose last individual win anywhere in the world was in the Los Angeles Open of 1997, took a quadruple-bogey nine at his second hole in this year's event.

Faldo, who has slumped to 183rd in the world rankings, took five putts from about eight feet at the par-five 11th hole which, as he had started at the 10th, meant he was four over after two holes of his first tournament of the millennium.

He reached the turn in 40, still four over, and on a still and sunny morning, with conditions on the ground and in the air perfect for scoring, he was already involved in a desperate struggle to make the 36-hole cut. The Englishman eventually finished his day on a five-over-par 76.

Before Hayes came in, the early lead was established by Neal Lancaster, whose $283,000 winnings last year were not enough for him to keep his tour card. He had a five-under 66, one ahead of Nick Price, Tom Pernice, Kirk Triplett and David Sutherland.

Faldo's aberration came at the 564-yard 11th where, after driving into deep rough, he could only advance the ball into more of the same. From there he found a ditch but then hit his fourth shot to eight feet, giving him a good chance to save par.

The pin at this hole is in an unusual spot, on a slope at the front of the green, made necessary because of recent heavy rains. Faldo was beneath the hole for his first putt, hit it aggressively and found himself with a three-footer coming back. This trickled three feet past and he then repeated the error of his first attempt. When he again missed the putt back, leaving only a tapin this time, he had run up his nine.

It was precisely the start to the season he did not want. Faldo declared recently that he regarded the 1999 season as one of the most disappointing of his career. But, he said, with that and his divorce from second wife Gill now behind him, he was confident he could regain his old form.

There was little sign of it yesterday, though. He had a birdie chance at the short 16th from 15 feet but the putt was more of a jab than a stroke, and his drive to the long 17th was low and dragged a long way left. He departed the tee swishing his driver angrily, his mood not enhanced by a spectator wearing a luminous tracksuit and rooting loudly and rudely for one of Faldo's playing partners, Duffy Waldorf.