Woods leads at Masters in Australia

MELBOURNE, Nov. 12 (UPI) -- Tiger Woods, making his first golf appearance in Australia in 11 years, shot 6-under-par 66 Thursday and shares the first-round lead at the JBWere Masters.

Woods missed out on owning the outright lead when he bogeyed his final hole Thursday but is still in first along with Branden Grace and James Nitties. Doug Holloway and Cameron Percy were one stroke back at 67 while Greg Chalmers, Mathew Goggin and Peter Nolan were tied for sixth at 4-under 68.

Woods hadn't played in a tournament in Australia since 1998. He started on the back nine of the Kingston Heath Golf Club with birdies at Nos. 12 and 14 allowing him to make the turn at 2-under.

He started his second nine with a birdie at the course's first hole and got to 4-under with a birdie at No. 4. He added consecutive birdies at Nos. 6-8 before getting a 5 at the par-4 ninth hole after his tee shot landed near a tree and he had to punch out.

Grace had a string of four consecutive birdies in his round, which ended with eight birdies and two bogeys, while Nitties was bogey free, adding an eagle 3 at No. 14 to four birdies on the day.