Golf: Unfussy Woods Sets Out Stall By Route 66

At this rate they might as well call it the Tiger Woods NEC Invitational World Golf Championship. The world's No1 player has won the tournament three times in the six years it has been staged and yesterday gave notice that he has every intention of doing the same again.

A four-under-par 66 put Woods tied for first place with Vijay Singh and Sweden's Henrik Stenson, making his first appearance in one of these hugely lucrative but strangely bloodless tournaments that punctuate the year.

It is no disrespect to Stenson, whose impressive season at 15th on the European Tour money list earned him this invitation, but it is not difficult to imagine him losing his place at the top of leaderboard before Sunday's conclusion.

For one thing Woods is playing an other-worldly form of golf these days, his opening nine holes in three over par at Baltusrol notwithstanding. For another, as he repeated half-a-dozen times after finishing his round yesterday, he loves the golf course at the Firestone Country Club.

"It's just a great, old-fashioned golf course," he said. "It's tough but there are no tricks, no hidden agendas, no elephant burial grounds. It's just all out there in front of you. These days, we don't get chance to play too many golf course like this one."

Woods is absolutely right, although in this instance the fact that he has shot 16 rounds in less than 70 shots en route to his three previous wins here has presumably helped smooth the path to true love. Yesterday's addition to the sub-70 pantheon was all the more impressive because it did not seem as if he was putting together a brilliant round, at least not until he paid a visit to the scorer's hut.

Not that Woods, the tournament sponsors nor the TV companies would agree, but some might argue there is certain weariness involved in watching Woods putting together such an quietly efficient 66. People demand distractions and, fortunately, there was one close to hand in the shape of Woods's playing partner, an amiable Zimbabwean called Marc Cayeux.

Never mind Oscar and Felix, these two really are the odd couple; physically, psychologically and financially, they are poles apart. While Woods has enjoyed the life of a golfing deity, Cayeux has spent most of his time as a pro scuffling around European Tour trying to get his card.

The apex of his career came this year, when he won the Sunshine Tour Championship in South Africa. That gained him this invitation. Needless to say, the pair had never met. "I couldn't believe it when my caddie told me," Cayeux said, describing the moment when he found out he had been drawn with the world No1. "It's the scariest thing ever, but it is also a great honour. He's a legend."

Cayeux's nerves were not helped by the fact he had to play with an injured hand. He burnt it at a barbeque last week when he accidentally ignited a box of matches, but managed to get round in 71. "I wanted to play the entire 18 holes, even if it meant my hand started bleeding. It was a terrific experience, though I have to say it was painful."

Woods, for one, was certainly impressed. "Good on the guy for hanging in there, especially when you see his hand. Trust me, it isn't pretty."

Phil Mickelson also paid Colin Montgomerie a compliment after the Scot shot a 70 in the same group as the American, who went one better.

"I only hit about four or five fairways, which is unusual for me," Montgomerie said. "But I chipped and putted really well. When Phil Mickelson tells you 'that was a short-game exhibition' you know you've done well."