Tiger Woods and Justin Rose poised to pounce at Bay Hill

Tiger Woods has picked up where he left off after returning from his Achilles injury at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

The 14-times major champion shot an opening round 69 to leave him in joint fourth place and three shots behind overnight leader Jason Dufner.

Woods dropped just one shot around the course – a three putt on the 17th – and feels he is in great shape heading into the weekend.

Woods said: “For some reason the course just fits my eye. I was just solid all day – I drove the ball well, hit my irons decent and putted all right.

“I had two three-putts, but also made a couple of bombs out there.

“I’m in a position where I can hit it again. That’s something that’s been missing for a while and it’s all the work that my coach Sean Foley and I have put together.”

The injury problem that saw him pull out of the Cadillac Championship looks to be well behind him and he looks a good bet at 11/10 to win his three-ball this Friday against Hunter Mahan and Ernie Els who are level-par and one-under respectively after their first round.

Justin Rose is also looking in great shape following his win at the Cadillac a fortnight ago and is also on three-under after his opening round that included four birdies and just one bogey.

Rose looks in a great position to put himself in contention to win for the second time this season and the odds of 6/4 offered for him to better his three-ball partners in this Friday’s round look tempting – especially as Phil Mickelson and Webb Simpson haven’t exactly set the course alight with opening rounds of one-over.