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Vijay Singh hit six birdies in his opening round to join a five-way tie for the lead at the Mercedes Championship at the Kapalua Plantation course in Hawaii.
After just one win last season, Singh is looking for more success this year and joins K.J. Choi, Brett Wetterich, Stephen Ames and Will MacKenzie in a tie for the lead in Hawaii.
Three birdies and one bogey on both the front and back nines saw Singh post a four-under-par round of 69 to grab a share of the lead.
Singh was one of just 12 of the 34 players in the field to shoot under-par rounds as the gusting winds at the Kapalua Plantation course made conditions pretty tough.
"I came prepared, I know the course well but this wind was something else," Singh said.
"I just went out with a very positive vibe and said 'I've got to hit solid shots. Just pick a spot and hit it, and whatever the result is going to be, it's going to be.'"
After just one win last year, 43-year-old Singh says a new driver in his bag could help him rediscover his blistering form of a couple of years ago.
"I'd love to have another (nine-win) season," he said.
"It would be unbelievable. I've got a new driver that I feel very comfortable with, and that was a big problem last year."
Co-leader Choi holds the course record at Kapalua and again started well as he aims to begin 2007 just as he ended 2006 - as he won the final full-field event of the season.
"After I shot that 11-under (in 2003), I set a certain standard," he said.
"Since then I've been trying to accomplish that or better it, set the bar higher, but I've gotten to realise I've just got to play one hole at a time."
Along with American Wetterich and Canadian Ames, the name of Will MacKenzie amongst the leaders is something of a surprise.
He qualified for this winners-only event by winning the Reno-Tahoe Open last August, a tournament played without the tour's top players, on the same dates as a World Golf Championships event.
Davis Love III is one shot back on three-under after his round of 70, while Luke Donald is one under par and Stuart Appleby, seeking to become just the fourth player in PGA Tour history to win the same event four consecutive times, opened with a steady even-par round of 73.
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Source: Sky Sports |
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