The world number one started sketchily missing the fairway off the tee at the par-five second. But he recovered rapidly as early as his second shot and set up a birdie within three feet of the flag. Australian Stuart Appleby was leading last night with Woods trailing in a joint second position.

It is a crowded leaderboard at the Augusta National with Padraig Harrington, Jim Furyk, David Toms, Luke Donald, Phil Mickelson, Retief Goosen and Vijay Singh just about five shots behind the leader.

Yesterday the gusting winds appeared to unsettle Tiger as he bogeyed the closing holes to end up on 73.  "I'm only four back. It's not like I'm a hundred back," Woods said afterward. "So I have a shot at it.  "If you make 18 pars, you're going to move up the leaderboard. Around here, that's normally not the case."

The 12-times major winner is currently level with Zach Johnson, who had a good start as he birdied three of the first four holes. South African Retief Goosen is in the third spot with Rory Sabbatini and Stuart Appleby.

Defending champion Phil Mickelson had a nightmarish start after he triple bogeyed his opening hole. He is currently six shots off the lead.