Retief Goosen of South Africa posted a 5-under-par 66 and tied for the first-round lead with Vijay Singh of Fiji, Nick Watney, James Hahn, Daniel Summerhays and Derek Fathauer in the Northern Trust Open at Riviera.
The 46-year-old Goosen, who has won 43 times as a professional including the U.S. Open in 2001 and 2004, posted seven birdies in his round, three down the stretch at “Hogan’s Alley” to bounce back from bogeys on the 11th and 12th holes.
“I got off to a good start and played solid for the first 10 holes,” said the Goose, who has won seven times on the PGA Tour but not since the 2009 Transitions Championship. “I had a lot of birdie chances and made some. It was nice to see a few putts go down.
“The course is in great shape. The fairways are so smooth, like a lot of greens, they are running so fast. The greens can be a little bumpy, but they were running nice this morning.”
Singh, 51, who has 34 PGA Tour victories but none since the 2008 Deutsche Bank Championship, made a single bogey at the second hole and collected four of his six birdies on the back nine while playing alongside Goosen.
Watney, from Sacramento and Fresno State, holed a five-foot eagle putt on the first hole and added three straight birdies through No. 8 before carding his only bogey on the 12th hole.
Hahn, from Alameda and Cal, recovered from his only bogey on the second hole and collected three consecutive birdies while finishing on the front nine to give him six in all.
Summeryhays made five birdies in eight holes after starting on the back nine and was in the lead at 6-under before he posted his second bogey of the day at No. 8. He birdied four holes in a row through No. 1.
Fathauer, the only one of the leaders playing in most difficult conditions in the afternoon, had six birdies and made his lone bogey at No. 12.
Carlos Ortiz of Mexico chipped in for eagle from 38 feet on the first hole and added four birdies while finishing on the front nine to take fourth alone at 67, while rookie Justin Thomas shot 68 and was tied for eighth with Alex Cejka of Germany, Geoff Ogilvy of Australia and William McGirt.
Defending champion Bubba Watson opened with a 70 and was tied for 17th.
