Genial Jason Gore birdied his final hole to grab a one-stroke lead after one round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational on Thursday, with Tiger Woods three back.

Gore, who has not had a top-40 finish all year, found some form, capping off a fine day when he rolled in a four-foot putt to card a five-under-par 65 at Bay Hill.

Fellow Americans Tim Herron and Jeff Overton shot 66, while five-time tournament winner Woods recovered from an early double bogey for a decent 68.

Woods hit his drive into the lake left of the fairway at the par-five sixth, eventually running up a seven, but he fought back with four successive birdies from the 10th hole as his putter ran hot.

"I made a nice putt at nine, which is like making a birdie, so I kept the momentum going," Woods said.

Herron, the 1999 champion, drew on some positive memories to compile six birdies in breezy morning conditions.

"You can always draw on something positive that you've done, instead of something negative," he said. "The course is a little different than back in '99 but the routing and the holes are the same."

It was a disappointing day for 17-year-old Ryo Ishikawa, who crashed with a 76.

The Japanese star started well, but never recovered after a quadruple bogey at the sixth, the same hole that Woods had trouble at.

AFP

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