Tiger Woods moves into contention with 67

That left him one shot behind joint leaders Sergio Garcia of Spain and Australia's Rod Pampling, who carded matching rounds of 68 on the difficult South Course at Torrey Pines.

"Overall, I felt like I really controlled my golf ball out there today and at least I put myself into position going into tomorrow," Woods told reporters after shooting the lowest round of the day.

"I feel comfortable being in contention and I'm excited about being there. I haven't been there in a little while."

The 10-time major winner, playing his first tournament of the year, clinched his last victory at the Dunlop Phoenix in Japan two months ago.

Woods, Buick Invitational champion in 1999, 2003 and again last year, made a surprisingly slow start, missing the fairway to the right on five of the first six holes on a cold, overcast morning.

Level for his round playing the par-five sixth, he picked up his first shot of the day there despite failing to reach the green in two, hitting a low pitch four feet past the pin.

However, he bogeyed the next hole after pushing his tee shot into the right rough to slip back to five under for the tournament.

Something then clicked into place for the U.S. masters and British Open champion. Putting behind him his errant driving of the first day, when he found only one fairway out of 14, he stepped up a gear with his all-round game.

"I hit a really nice iron shot into eight, a hard seven-iron that ended up short, hit the ridge and came back, but that was the start of it," Woods said.

"After that shot, I hit a bunch of quality shots. I just got into a good flow."

A prodigious drive straight down the middle at the par-five ninth set up his second birdie of the day and he picked up another shot at the par-four 10th after hitting his approach to six feet.

Although Woods found one of two front greenside bunkers at the par-five 13th, he splashed out to within four feet of the flag for birdie number four.

Further birdies followed on 15 and 17 after superb tee shots on both holes set up precision wedges into the green.

Although Woods pulled his tee shot well left at the par-five last, he struck his second safely onto the fairway before striking a 93-yard approach to just seven feet and it seemed another birdie was there for the taking.

However, he narrowly missed and had to settle for signing off with a par-five.