In his first competitive appearance for tweelve weeks, Woods parred the first nine holes and dropped only one stroke.
Playing partner and Open champion Darren Clarke struggled to a 77, but Lee Westwood shot 67 and world number one Luke Donald and Rory McIlroy 68's.
Australian Adam Scott carded a superb 62, for a one-shot lead over Jason Day.
In his first competitive appearance for 12 weeks, Woods parred the first nine holes and dropped only one stroke.
Playing partner and Open champion Darren Clarke struggled to a 77, but Lee Westwood shot 67 and world number one Luke Donald and Rory McIlroy 68's.
Australian Adam Scott carded a superb 62, for a one-shot lead over Jason Day. His approach to the third went through the green after some mud affected the flight of the ball and his chip from thick rough went 15-feet past.
But the former world number one, back with the favoured steel Scotty Cameron putter he used to win all but the first of his 14 major titles, holed impressively for par.
A majestic iron shot to six feet at the par-three fourth set up a birdie chance but it stayed up, as did an eight-and-a-half foot opportunity after a fine six-iron at the next.
However, Woods sank a twenty-footer for par at the ninth, calmly rolled in his first birdie of the day from five feet at the next and another fine approach to seven feet set up another at the 11th.
His only dropped shot of the day came at the 467-yard par-four fourteen when a nine-iron second shot from 161 yards went over the green and found an awkward spot in the bunker.
A third birdie followed at the par-five sixth despite an errant drive, followed by a dramatic cut escape from under the trees, an indifferent pitch and then a magical twentyfive-foot putt from the edge of the green.
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