Ryan Palmer posted a bogey-free 7-under-par 64 to take a one-shot lead over Bubba Watson, Keegan Bradley and rookie Daniel Berger, as Tiger Woods rallied to salvage his first round of the year, a 73, in the Waste Management Phoenix Open at TPC Scottsdale.
Palmer, who has won three times on the PGA Tour but not since the 2010 Sony Open in Hawaii, recorded five birdies and an eagle on the 13th hole, where he hit his second shot from 240 yards to within 15 inches of the hole.
Watson, the reigning Masters champion, bounced back from his only bogey at No. 2 with an eight-foot eagle putt on the next hole and added five birdies on the back nine in his 65, while Bradley collected seven birdies to go with a bogey on the first hole.
Berger, who played on the Web.com Tour last year, made his first bogey of the day at the fifth hole while finishing on the front nine and still had two holes remaining when darkness halted play.
Zach Johnson overcame two bogeys to shoot 66 and was tied for fifth with Robert Streb, Ben Martin and Martin Laird of Scotland.
Woods, playing his first official PGA Tour event since August, had two bogeys and a double bogey on the first four holes after starting on the back nine, but hit his second shot from 226 yards to within seven inches for an eagle at No. 13 and added two birdies.
Phil Mickelson, playing for the second time this year, recovered from a bogey on his first hole, No. 10, and a double-bogey 7 on the 15th with five birdies the rest of the way and was tied for 29th with a 69.
