Goggin leads Buick Open as El Tigre lurks two back

Despite holding an early lead, Goggin will be well aware that the world's number one ranked player Tiger Woods lurks just two shots behind him.

Goggin, a resident of Scottsdale, Arizona, fired nine birdies against a single bogey as he pursues his first career PGA Tour title in just his second year on the tour.

"It's like leading the first round of the Tour de France on the flat, easy stuff," he said. "We have three days of high mountains to go. You just go in blind and see what happens."

British hopeful Luke Donald and Jay Williamson lie in joint second spot after both firing seven-under-par 65s over the par-72 Torrey Pines Golf Course in what is the 50th anniversary of this event.

But they are all looking over their shoulders at Woods, who is looking for his first PGA victory of the young season in his third appearance on the PGA's 'West Coast Swing'.

Woods shot an opening round 66, with six birdies and no bogeys, to end the day tied for fourth with Chris Riley.

Two-time defending champion Phil Mickelson struggled in his opening round, shooting a one-over-par 73 to sit nine shots off the lead.

Mickelson is seeking to become the first player to win the same event three straight years since Woods captured the Memorial Tournament and World Golf Championships-NEC Invitational in 1999-2001.

Donald, a former NCAA champion and one of the Tour's so-called "Young Guns," bogeyed the 11th hole — his second of the round. But he started a string of four straight birdies on the 13th and made the turn at four-under. On the front nine, he birdied numbers three, eight and nine..

"I'm excited to be called a 'Young Gun,'" said the 24-year-old who won the NCAA title while at Northwestern in 1999.

"It's a nice title to have. I think there are a lot of great players at the moment who have just come out of college or come out of college two or three years ago."

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