Woods again looms large

Golf: Matthew Goggin of Australia fired an opening round 64 to take a one-shot lead after round one of the $3

Golf: Matthew Goggin of Australia fired an opening round 64 to take a one-shot lead after round one of the $3.6 million Buick Invitational Golf tournament on Thursday.

Despite holding an early lead, Goggin will be well aware that Tiger Woods lurks just two shots behind him. Goggin, a resident of Scottsdale, Arizona, fired nine birdies against a single bogey as he pursues his first career PGA Tour title in just his second year on the tour.

"It's like leading the first round of the Tour de France on the flat, easy stuff," he said. "We have three days of high mountains to go. You just go in blind and see what happens."

British hopeful Luke Donald and Jay Williamson lie in joint second spot after both firing seven-under-par 65s over the par-72 Torrey Pines Golf Course in what is the 50th anniversary of this event.

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But they are all looking over their shoulders at Woods, who is looking for his first PGA victory of the young season in his third appearance on the PGA's West Coast Swing.

Woods shot an opening round 66, with six birdies and no bogeys, to end the day tied for fourth with Chris Riley.

"I haven't really gotten off to the best of starts of late much," said Woods, who tied for 10th and 12th in his first two events of 2002.

A large group of players were tied another shot back, all at five-under-par, including David Frost, Miguel Angel Jimenez, Robin Freeman, David Sutherland, Mark O'Meara and Jerry Smith.