• Webb Simpson leads by one shot at Firestone Country Club
• Tiger Woods cards 66 in event he has won seven times
The former US Open champion Webb Simpson claimed the lead in the first round of the £5.6m WGC Bridgestone Invitational but Tiger Woods was ominously poised at one of his favourite venues.
Simpson carded a six-under-par 64 at Firestone Country Club to lead by one shot from the Open runner-up Henrik Stenson, with Woods, the defending champion Keegan Bradley, Ryan Moore and England's Chris Wood a further stroke back.
Starting from the 10th, Simpson had gone to the turn in 31 with birdies at the 13th, 15th, 17th and 18th and made it four birdies in succession when he picked up shots at the first and second.
A bogey at the third halted his charge briefly before further birdies at the 6th and 7th, but a superb round ended on a disappointing note with a dropped shot on the ninth.
Stenson had no such concerns after a flawless 65 that began with a birdie at the 1st and eagle at the par-five 2nd, with the Swede picking up further shots at the 11th and 12th after changing shoes due to a painful blister.
Woods has won seven times at Firestone and carded an opening 66 that featured a flawless inward nine of 31.
"I'm very pleased with that, I thought I hit it pretty good and really controlled it," the world No1 said.
Woods' inward 31 was matched by Bristol's Wood, who prepared for the event at his home course of Long Ashton and expressed his thanks to greenkeeping staff in an interesting fashion.
"I have to mention James and the greenkeepers at my home club of Long Ashton for their help last week," Wood wrote on his blog. "He worked on getting the putting green nice and quick for me in preparation for my tournament this week. It was a pleasure to putt on it. I just hope the members did not complain too much. As a means of compensation, I made sure cider vouchers were left behind the bar for everyone to enjoy a drink."
Luke Donald was four under with three holes to play but bogeyed the last to return a 67, while his Ryder Cup team-mates Ian Poulter, Paul Lawrie and Justin Rose shot 69.
The world No3 Rory McIlroy, looking to replicate the fifth-place finish of last year which kick-started his season, also bogeyed the last in a round of 70, one better than Lee Westwood.
At the first round of the British Women's Open at St Andrews the American Morgan Pressel and the Swedish outsider Camilla Lenarth outshone a history-chasing Inbee Park. The South Korean is trying to become the first player to win four straight professional majors in the same year and shot a three-under 69, three off the lead held jointly by Pressel and Lenarth.
