FIRST ROUND LEADEBOARD US unless stated -5 D Toms, M Gronberg (Swe), R Imada (Jpn), G Ogilvy (Aus) -4 B Gay, B Mayfair, J Gove, J Schultz -3 J Cook, D Hart, S Hend (Aus), S Micheel Selected others: -1 P Harrington (Ire), G Owen (Eng) Level L Donald (Eng) +1 L Westwood (Eng)

The quartet finished on five-under 67 at a windy Mirasol in Florida, with four Americans one shot adrift.

Brian Gay, Billy Mayfair, Jeff Gove and Jason Schultz were on 68, while Ireland's defending champion Padraig Harrington shot 71 for one under.

England's Greg Owen was also on 71, while countryman Luke Donald was even.

But fellow Englishman Lee Westwood ended one over and compatriots Ian Poulter and Brian Davis could only manage 75 and 76 respectively.

The 34-year-old Harrington, playing only his fourth event of the year after a winter break, has admitted he is a bit rusty and needs time to hit top form.

But his 71 is two better than the start he made last year, when he ended up winning the event in a play-off with Vijay Singh.

American Toms, the only player from the world's top 10, is enjoying a superb start to the season.

It's just the type of course where you're going to make good bogeys David Toms

He won the Sony Open in January and finished joint-second behind Tiger Woods at the Doral Championship on Sunday.

The 34-year-old reeled off five successive birdies on his second nine holes after an inconsistent front nine which featured three bogeys and three birdies.

"There are some good scores today, even with the conditions," Toms said. "Somebody is always going to play well, no matter who is in the field.

"But it's not one of those days where you can go out and make 16 pars and two birdies.

"It's just the type of course where you're going to make good bogeys out there even playing smart. So you have to be able to bounce back."

Gronberg, who turns 36 on Sunday, was only called into the event when Nick Faldo withdrew because of an illness in the family.

He had five birdies in his first 12 holes and although he bogeyed the 16th, he was on the green in two on the 556-yard next and two-putted for his sixth birdie.

Poulter, trying to climb from 65th in the world back into the top 50 in time for the Masters, double-bogeyed his first hole and had another six holes later.

He did make four birdies, but there were also three bogeys in an erratic display.

Among the other big names in the field, twice major winner John Daly returned a 76 and 2004 Open champion Todd Hamilton battled to a 78.