Tiger Woods made a sparkling start yesterday to a year which many think could bring him golf's first Grand Slam.

Playing only his second tournament since September, the world number one was just two shots off the early lead after beginning his search for a fourth successive Buick Invitational title at Torrey Pines near San Diego with a five-under-par 67 - his 16th sub-70 score in a row.

The most ominous thing for the rest of the field was that Woods, who won his last three events in 2007 by a combined 17 strokes, played his first round on the South Course, by far the tougher and longer of the two lay-outs and the one on which the US Open will be staged in June.

Woods had birdies at the fourth and eighth to turn in 34, then picked up further strokes at the 10th, 11th, 13th and 15th.

He was tied for top spot at that point, but came up short of the green on the short 16th and failed to get up and down.

The only player ahead of him was Troy Matteson after a superb 65, also on the South, while over on the North Phil Mickelson climbed out of his sick bed to return a two-under 70.

Woods has won the Buick five times in all and has never finished outside the top 10.

With one more PGA Tour victory he will equal the 62 achieved by Arnold Palmer in his career. Palmer needed 473 starts to reach the figure, while this is the 231st for Woods.

Only Ben Hogan (64), Jack Nicklaus (73) and Sam Snead (82) would then remain ahead of him.