Garcia has not won a title this year

The Spaniard leads the field on 11 under ahead of Denmark's Thomas Bjorn and home favourite Daisuke Maruyama.

The European duo both shot rounds of 65 but Garcia already had a one-shot advantage over the Open runner-up from day one at the Phoenix Country club.

England's Lee Westwood slipped down the field after a pair of double-bogeys undid his early good work.

Garcia was in impressive form firing five birdies on the front nine and, despite a wobble at the twelfth, three more birdies kept him in front.

Bjorn had got off to an untidy start scoring two bogeys before a run of five birdies on the back nine lifted him back up the leaderboard.