Golden eagle hands Woods lead

A breathtaking eagle at the final hole gave Tiger Woods the perfect start in his bid for an astonishing sixth successive stroke-play title.

The world number one began the defence of his American Express Championship at The Grove near Watford with an eight-under-par 63.

A front-nine 29 was brilliant enough, but he saved the best for last - a 306-yard drive, 269-yard second and 20-foot putt that lifted him one shot ahead of Ireland's Padraig Harrington and England's Ian Poulter.

It was as though the last two weeks - a first round exit to Shaun Micheel in the HSBC World Match Play at Wentworth and a thumping Ryder Cup defeat - had never happened.

Woods was back to the form he showed in capturing the previous five stroke-play events - the Open championship, Buick Open, US PGA, Bridgestone Invitational and Deutsche Bank Championship, the last of them achieved with a closing 63.

He is now an incredible 105 under par for his last 25 stroke-play rounds and is on course for a stunning 10th victory in 15 World Golf Championships stroke-play events since they were introduced in 1999.

Woods describes his approach to the discipline as just "trying to plod your way along", but his playing of the 18th hole was anything but that.

"In order to get there (in two) I had to flatten the tee shot out to get it under the wind and I hit it perfect," he said. "Then the three-wood was my shot of the day without a doubt.

"I was surprised it flew that far. And with greens this good, if you hit good putts, they're going in."