Woods lurks in familiar position at Firestone

By Mark Lamport-Stokes

AKRON, Ohio (Reuters) - Firestone specialist Tiger Woods was back in familiar surrounds after moving ominously into contention at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational on Thursday.

Bidding for a sixth title in just nine appearances at Firestone Country Club, Woods carded a two-under-par 68 in searing heat to sit one stroke off the first-round lead.

"I hit the ball pretty good today, just had a couple of loose ones, and my short game was decent," the world number one told reporters after carding four birdies and two bogeys.

"I thought I had a pretty good touch on the greens. I do feel comfortable around here. This course just fits my eye and for some reason I've had some success here."

Hunting a third successive victory at Firestone, Woods said he had never seen the par-70 South Course play as fast.

"The fairways are really quick and the greens are unbelievably quick," the 12-times major winner added.

"Everything above the hole you've really got to pay attention because there are a couple out there where you can putt right off the green. It doesn't take much."

STRONG START

Woods, who has never finished worse than tied for fourth at Firestone, made a strong start with two birdies in his first six holes.

After teeing off at the par-four 10th, he holed a downhill putt from 20 feet at the par-three 12th before rolling in a 25-footer at the par-three 15th.

However he bogeyed the 18th after pushing his tee shot into the right rough from where a tree blocked his direct route to the green.

Out in one-under 34, he collected further birdies at the second and fifth before dropping his second shot of the round at the sixth where he hit his approach into a greenside bunker.

"It's certainly playing different than most years," Woods said after ending a sapping day one behind pacesetting Hunter Mahan, South African Rory Sabbatini and Britain's Paul Casey.

"Most years it's raining here, the ball is plugging and you've got some low scores.

"But not this year. Three under par is leading, and that's a heck of a round around here."