Laird gets new season off to a flier in Hawaii

Laird was the first to tee off at the Kapalua Resort's Plantation Course in a 28-player season-opening field restricted to last year's US Tour event winners.

The Glaswegian, who landed his maiden professional victory at the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open in Las Vegas last October, sank seven birdies and one bogey on the par-73, 7,411-yard course for a six-under-par 67. Laird, who turned 28 ten days ago, had carded his first bogey of the year before his first birdie of 2010 but recovered from his setback at the par-four fifth to hit three birdies and reach the turn in two-under 34.

There was more to come and Laird holed four successive birdies on the back nine between 13 and 16, to take the outright lead at six under. The Scot missed another birdie chance at the 17th on his way to a 67 and was quickly joined in the clubhouse on six under by Australian Nathan Green with Americans Matt Kuchar and US Open champion Lucas Glover.

The 2010 US PGA Tour began under cloudy skies when Laird found the middle of the fairway with the first tee shot of the new season. His drive rolled 368 yards down the hill at Kapalua Resort's picturesque par-four first before he reached the green in two and two-putted for a regulation par.

For many of the players, organisers and fans in attendance, there would have been a collective sigh of relief that US PGA Tour normality had been resumed after several weeks in which the focus was on Tiger Woods' troubled private life.

Although world No 1 Woods has not played at Kapalua since 2005, his well-documented fall from grace had dominated the tournament's build-up. The best player of his generation, Woods announced last month he was taking an indefinite break from golf in the wake of embarrassing revelations about his personal life. "Anybody who hasn't talked about the Tiger thing in the last two months was on the moon," said PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem.

Meanwhile, South African Richard Sterne and four rivals to fire opening rounds of seven-under-par 66 and share the lead after the first day of the Africa Open. Sterne and fellow South Africans Titch Moore and Trevor Fisher were joined at the top of the leaderboard by Sweden's Patrik Sjoland and Denmark's Mark Haastrup at the East London Golf Club.

Stephen Gallacher, making his first appearance in a regular European Tour event in nearly six months after being sidelined with a viral illness, leads the Scottish challenge after a three-under-par 70, one better than Steven O'Hara, Andrew McArthur, Alan McLean and Jamie McLeary.

O'Hara, who regained his Tour card at the Qualifying School in December, would have been closer to the lead but for two dropped shots in the final three holes.

Callum Macaulay and Peter Whiteford are a further shot adrift after a day that saw all seven Scots in the field break par.