Vijay Singh back to top form with 63

World number three Vijay Singh blazed his way to a nine-under-par 63 to take the lead after the first round of the Buick Open on Thursday.

Olin Browne was alone in second place on 64 followed by Mike Grob on 65.

South African Brenden Pappas, Len Mattiace, Craig Barlow, David Peoples and defending champion Jim Furyk were in joint fourth spot on six-under 66. World number one Tiger Woods was among seven players who opened with a 67.

Fijian Singh played a pedestrain front nine at Warwick Hills Golf and Country Club, going out in a two-under 34. But he lit up the inward half with a seven-under 29 which included five birdies and an eagle.

In one eight-hole stretch, Singh carded eight threes.

"Gosh, I've never made so many threes except on a par-three course...but it felt good," he told reporters.

"I hit a lot of close shots but I think making those five, six, seven-footers, and occasionally 10-footers, kept the round going."

Singh, who totalled 26 putts, continually put himself in position for birdies, hitting 16 greens in regulation.

The Fijian, who had three wins to his name this year by early May, has gone slightly off the boil in recent weeks. In his last eight starts, he has only gained three top-10 finishes.

Singh pointed the finger of blame at his form on the greens and decided to switch back from a belly putter to a conventional blade on Thursday.

"All of a sudden, I just could not make putts," he said. "Everything was 33, 32 putts every round and occasionally I would get it down to 28, 29.

"I was relying more on ball-striking to keep my scores going. That puts a lot of pressure on."

Browne was not as spectacular as Singh as he compiled equal halves of 32 with eight birdies.

The 45-year-old American, whose previous victory came at the 1999 Colonial, finished joint fourth in last week's Greater Milwaukee Open.

Browne changed his putter last week and his driver late last month.

"I've been playing pretty well since the Booz Allen Classic (at the end of June)," said Browne, who tied for seventh in that event to earn his first top-10 of the season.

"I hit a lot of quality shots. The rounds where I shoot a good score, I seem to be making some putts. In the rounds I'm shooting around par, I'm not making the putts.

"I think (changing putters and drivers) have really contributed to my good play in the last five or six weeks."

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