Tiger Woods, the former world No 1, played his first bogey-free round in nine months on the opening day of the Australian Open where he trails leader Jarrod Lyle by three shots.
Cancer survivor Lyle held off a powerful American contingent, including Woods , to card a seven-under 65 in an unblemished round that included an eagle three at the 14th and five birdies.
Lyle, who must go through qualifying school next month to avoid playing in the secondary Nationwide Tour next season after losing his tour card with a 161st finish on the money list, was pursued by Americans, Dustin Johnson and Nick Watney, a shot back on 66.
Woods, who has not won a tournament for two years precipitating a slump in his world ranking to 58, wrestled with gusty afternoon winds to keep in touch, three shots off the lead.
His 68, which included four birdies, was his first bogey-free round in nine months.
"I hit it really good today, that was exactly how I have been hitting it at home, so that's good and I've taken it to the golf course in these conditions and hit all the shots," Woods said.
"I just grinded, I was very patient all day and just took advantage when I could.
"With these conditions it's easy to make a couple of bogeys in a row and get it going the wrong way and I just had to be patient, there wasn't going to be a lot of guys in the afternoon hitting 60s."
World No 5 Johnson, at the Australian Open for next week's Presidents Cup as the top-ranked American player, hit eight birdies in his six-under round.
"I made a lot of good putts, some tap-ins and some three-four footers, and I played really solid all day and made some great iron shots," said Johnson, who reeled off five consecutive birdies from the 12th hole.
"I was a little rusty at the start, it was the first time I've been in competition for five-six weeks now, but then got it going pretty well."
Watney carded five birdies in his closing six holes in the afternoon to finish with an impressive six-under.
Lyle, 30, who finished only once in the top 10 on this year's US PGA Tour, carded an unblemished round that included an eagle three at the 14th and five birdies.
"That's the lowest score I've shot all year, I've played solid all year, but just haven't achieved anything," Lyle said.
Former US Masters champion Fred Couples, who will be the non-playing captain of the US team at next week's Presidents Cup teams event against the Internationals at Royal Melbourne, was among a quartet on five-under 67, two shots off the lead.
Couples, 52, who has 53 tournament victories in his 30 years as a professional, carded six birdies and a bogey playing with his US team assistant John Cook, who had a 69.
World No 17 Bubba Watson, another member of next week's US team, chimed in with a four-under 68 with an eagle, five birdies and three bogeys.
Australian Adam Scott, who said he didn't make a putt in his three-under 69, hit a spectacular albatross two at the par-five eighth when he holed a six-iron from 199 metres.
It was only his second career albatross or three-under-par-shot since his junior days.
Compatriot and world No 7 Jason Day had five birdies and two bogeys playing with Woods to be equal 16th with Scott at three-under.
