Vijay Singh powered his way into a five-way deadlock for the lead after the opening round of the US$5.5 million Mercedes Championship on Thursday.
Singh, coming off a modest season last year, carded six birdies in a four-under-par 69 at Hawaii's Kapalua Plantation course.
He was joined by K.J. Choi, Brett Wetterich, Stephen Ames and Will MacKenzie, one stroke ahead of Davis Love. Only 12 players in the 34-man field bettered par in extremely windy conditions.
PHOTO: AP
"I came prepared, I know the course well but this wind was something else," Singh said.
"I just went out with a very positive vibe and said `I've got to hit solid shots. Just pick a spot and hit it, and whatever the result is going to be, it's going to be.'"
Singh won nine tour events in 2004 but last year was unusually quiet by his own lofty standards. He won only once, struggling with his usually well-oiled swing.
At 43, his best golf may be behind him, but he doesn't think so.
"I'd love to have another [nine-win] season," he said. "It would be unbelievable. I've got a new driver that I feel comfortable with and that was a big problem last year."
Stuart Appleby, seeking to become just the fourth player in PGA Tour history to win the same event four consecutive times, opened with a steady even-par 73.
Singh has an excellent record at Kapalua, posting top-10 finishes in his past seven starts.
South Korea's Choi also has enjoyed success here -- he holds the course record with an 11-under 62.
Choi hit the first shot of the new season, rifling his 3-wood straight down the middle and setting the tone for a satisfactory day. Although he dropped a shot at the par-4 third, he roared back with a hat-trick of birdies starting at No. 7.
"After I shot that 11-under [in 2003], I set a certain standard," he said. "Since then I've been trying to accomplish that or better it, set the bar higher, but I've gotten to realize I've just got to play one hole at a time."
Choi ended last year on a high, winning the final full-field event of the season barely two months after overhauling his swing with new coach Steve Bann.
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