LEADERBOARD -14 V Singh (Fij) -13 S Appleby (Aus) -10 D Clarke (NIre) -9 K Triplett (US) -7 S Hoch (US)

The world number two headed the 30-player field at 14-under from Australian Stuart Appleby with Darren Clarke four shots adrift after a 69.

Tiger Woods started double-bogey, bogey but recovered to shoot a three-under-par 70 and is nine shots behind.

Defending champion Ernie Els (70) was at three-under in Maui.

World number one Woods, who was pipped to the US money list title for the first time in five years in 2003 by Singh, has failed to break 70 in the US Tour season opener.

And he is struggling to find the all-conquering form that has won him eight major titles.

"I'm frustrated because I just haven't put it together," said Woods.

"I've wasted too many golf shots and that's normally not the way I play. It's frustrating when I go out there and make mistakes like that."

He added: "The way this golf course is, the greens not being as smooth as they normally are, it's hard to go low, it really is.

"If you're coming from behind, if you get some putts to go in the hole you can try to make up some ground. But, again, it's very difficult to make up ground because the greens just aren't smooth."