Tiger Woods shot 6-under 64 on Thursday -- his best round this season -- and shared the first-round lead at the Arnold Palmer Invitational in Orlando, Florida, with Vaughn Taylor and Paul Casey.
Woods played his best golf in nearly six months, giving himself a birdie opportunity on all but one hole. He opened with four birdies in the first six holes, missing putts of 3.3m and 4m on the other two.
"It's definitely the best round of the year," Woods said. "I haven't played that many rounds."
The 64 was the lowest opening round at the Bay Hill Club course since Woods shot 64 in 1998. Taylor played bogey-free, picking up birdies on two of the toughest holes, including a 5-iron over the water to 2.6m on the eighth hole.
Casey's only previous trip to Palmer's course was in 2004, when he shot 77 in the first round and withdrew. He also played without a bogey, joining the leaders with an approach into 2.3m for birdie on the 18th.
"Having it played it twice now, I can honestly say I enjoy the golf course," Casey said.
The record for most rounds in the 60s on any day at Bay Hill was 41 in the second round of the 2000 tournament.
With 11 players unable to finish on Thursday because afternoon storms moved into the area, there already were 42 scores in the 60s.
US Masters champion Phil Mickelson didn't have one of them. He hit into the water on No. 8 to take a double bogey and followed birdies with bogeys on his way to an underwhelming 72.
"I scored terribly," Mickelson said. "I scored 2-over on a course with soft greens that wasn't playing very hard."
Woods won the tournament formerly known as the Bay Hill Invitational every year from 2000 through 2003, but after opening with a 67 the follow year, he failed to break 70 his next 11 rounds and was rarely in contention.
He fixed that situation quickly on Thursday morning, even as a strong gust kicked up early in his round.
"I thought it was important for me to shoot at least under par on that front nine and that was all I was concerned about," Woods said.
Sergio Garcia, Trevor Immelman and Sean O'Hair were in the group at 66, while Tampa winner Mark Calcavecchia, Scott Verplank and former Ryder Cup captain Tom Lehman were among those at 67. Ernie Els put his tee shot into the water on the par-5 sixth and made double bogey, but steadied himself for a 69.
About the only thing Palmer can do now is pour concrete on the greens.
"The greens were very receptive," Casey said when asked about the good scoring. "If you were in the fairway and had the right club in your hand, you could really attack the flag."
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