Golf-Singh surges into tie for lead at Congressional

BETHESDA, Maryland, July 6 (Reuters) Vijay Singh notched four birdies in five holes on the way to a four-under-par 66 to charge into a five-way share of the lead at the Tiger Woods-hosted tournament.

Level with the Fijian after the opening round at Congressional Country Club in suburban Washington, D.C., were world number three Jim Furyk, Stuart Appleby of Australia, American Joe Ogilvie and South Korea's K.J. Choi.

''I didn't play too badly,'' Singh told reporters yesterday.

Singh started his round on the back nine and delivered a three-under 32.

''I drove the ball very nice on the back nine and that got me going with some good birdies out there. I'm very, very happy with what I shot.'' New father Woods, hosting an official event for the first time on the PGA Tour, battled to a 73 while world number two Phil Michelson carded a 74 as he recovers from a wrist injury.

''I'll have to figure something out for tomorrow because evidently what I'm doing is not even close to being right,'' said world number one Woods after a stumbling start featuring successive bogeys.

''I've got to fix it. I've got to get back in this tournament to give myself a chance.'' Ogilvie, bidding for his first PGA Tour title, produced a roller-coaster round that included eight birdies and four bogeys.

''Pretty much every time I hit in the rough, I made bogey, which most people are probably going to do this week,'' said Ogilvie.

GOOD CHANCE ''And then every time I hit it in the fairway I had a pretty good chance for birdie.

''This tournament is going to be won or lost hitting it in the fairway, so whoever hits the most fairways is going to have a pretty good chance.'' Seven players were one stroke off the pace, including Tour veteran Corey Pavin, Steve Stricker and local favourite Fred Funk.

South Korean Choi, who claimed his fifth Tour title at last month's Memorial tournament in Dublin, Ohio, was delighted to take that momentum into this week's 6 million dollars event.

''I will take that confidence and the same approach as I did back at the Memorial and just give it my best,'' the Korean said through an interpreter.

''I started out slow today, but I finished with six birdies, two bogeys.

''Considering that this was my first time being here at this golf course, I tried to play very carefully, hole by hole, and that approach ended up working out.'' REUTERS TB RAI0535