Tiger Woods takes opening honours with 63 - American Express Championship2006

Tiger Woods imposed himself on the WGC American Express Championship first round on Thursday with a blistering front nine and an eagle finish to end the day a shot ahead of the field.

Woods, seeking his fifth win since the event was inaugurated in 1999, stormed out in just 29 shots and then holed from 20ft on the last for an eight-under round of 63.

His grandstand finish hauled him past Irishman Padraig Harrington and Britain's Ian Poulter, who share second spot.

The world number one had looked imperious as he plundered six birdies going out but made a mistake on the 17th by overshooting the green with his approach, causing his only dropped shot.

Typically, though, he hit straight back, hitting what he felt was his "shot of the day", a three-wood approach under the wind to hit the 18th green and retake the lead.

Fellow American Stewart Cink said earlier that the course was so set up for Woods's game it should be named after him, the defending champion had other theories for his good score.

"I hit the ball really well but when the greens are this good, if you hit good putts they're going in. I made a couple of putts, got things rolling and got the momentum on my side. When greens are slow I struggle and I always feel more comfortable on fast greens," he said.

"There are always courses you feel more comfortable on. One of the first times I played St Andrews I fell in love with the place.

"I can see shots here, feel comfortable shaping the golf ball. Love it? A couple more 63s..."

After America's drubbing last weekend in the Ryder Cup, Woods refuted the suggestion he was more comfortable being back to strokeplay, saying: "I'm only in control of five points and I got three," of his contribution, the best of anyone on the American team.

"I could have holed more putts but I only played badly once, on Saturday morning."

Harrington admitted he had not had the best of Ryder Cups - he managed only half a point from five games and was Europe's lowest scorer - and based his unblemished 64 on his recent second and fourth places on the European Tour.

The Irishman missed a series of key putts at the K Club and said he had been using unconventional methods to improve.

"Today the putting was good. I work a lot with my left shoe off. I was trying to get more weight on my left side," he said.

Poulter collected nine birdies but bogeyed twice. The Englishman who was devastated at not making the K Club match, continued his good form, following up on his win in the Madrid Open the week before the Ryder Cup.

Cink, after collecting seven birdies with one dropped shot, said his Ryder Cup singles performance in beating Sergio Garcia, who had won all four of his pairs matches, had sent him to the Grove on a high, unlike some of his team mates.

"I left with a lot of confidence after Sunday, to be honest," said Cink.

"There was a lot of deflation because of the loss for the team but coming into this week I've decided that I'm going to take a lot of positives out of Sunday."

The 2004 winner of the event, Ernie Els, shares fourth place with Cink.