Tiger opens strong at Bay Hill

Miami : Tiger Woods sank six birdie putts, including a spectacular 71-footer at the par-3 seventh hole, and leaped into second place with an opening four-under-par 68 Thursday at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

The 14-time major champion, among the early starters on a Bay Hill layout where he has won seven times before, showed the peak form that sparked his best finish in five years last week and none of the back pain that sidelined him most of the past two seasons.

The only reason Woods was not sharing the clubhouse lead in his final tuneup for the Masters in three weeks was Jimmy Walker, the 2016 PGA Championship winner.

Walker holed out from 132 yards for eagle on the 18th fairway to complete an opening 67, one stroke ahead of fellow Americans Woods and Patrick Reed.

But the electricity of the day came from Woods, the 42-year-old superstar who has not won a major since the 2008 US Open and hasn’t captured any title since the 2013 World Golf Championships Bridgestone Invitational.