Tiger Woods battles flu - five shots back

Tiger Woods, battling a dose of flu, stayed in the hunt for a third successive victory with a two-under-par 69 in the Nissan Open first round on Thursday.

The world number one, who triumphed at this year's Buick Invitational in San Diego and the Dubai Desert Classic, mixed six birdies with two dropped shots and a double-bogey at the par-three fourth.

"I was just disgusted with how I felt," a frustrated Woods told reporters after finishing five strokes behind co-leaders Justin Rose of Britain and American Dean Wilson.

"I was wishing my head would clear up, wishing this fever would break. It's not going to happen. I don't feel very good, I feel tired and I'm going to go home and go to sleep.

"Considering everything, though, I will take a 69 in a heartbeat. Give me anything, under par is a good score."

American Woods, bidding to end a victory drought in the only PGA Tour event he has played on a regular basis without success, made an erratic start in calm, cool conditions at the Riviera Country Club.

He birdied the first, dropped at the par-four second and ran up a double-bogey at the fourth where he pulled his tee shot well left, the ball bouncing on a cart path and ending up in a bunker on the adjacent 17th hole.

Woods's sand escape fell short of the green and he was unable to get up and down from there to salvage a bogey-four.

However, he recovered with further birdies on six and seven to reach the turn in one-under 34.

The 10-times major winner picked up further shots on 10 and 17 before stumbling with a bogey at the last after pushing his drive right into trees and finding the front right greenside bunker with his second shot.

"I actually felt like I drove the ball pretty good today," added Woods, who has finished second twice and in the top 10 four times in 10 Nissan starts. "I hit a lot of good shots.

"Unfortunately some of the bad ones were really bad. Somehow I have got to fix it tonight.

"I thought I putted well today, I felt my speed was good. But it was hard the way those greens were today. They were a little bumpy and the ball was hopping all over the place.

"It's going to be really hard to go low here."