Lowry in second place at HSBC Champions

Ireland's Shane Lowry hit a tremendous 66 lie in tied-second after the first round at the World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions in Shanghai, two shots behind American Nick Watney, who tied the course record with a virtually flawless 64 to leave him on eight under.

Lowry had two birdies inside his first three holes, taking four to finish the par-five second and three on the par-four third. He maintained that good start with four pars on his next four holes and then embarked on another scoring burst around the turn, notching birdies on the eighth, ninth and 10th to be five under through 10 holes.

A setback followed in the shape of a bogey at the long par-four 15th but the Offaly man bouced back immediately with another birdie at the next, the short par-four 16th, and then finished his round with his seventh birdie of the day on the par-five 18th for a superb 66.

Pádraig Harrington and Rory McIlroy, the only other Irish players in the field, struggled to make an impact.

Harrington had five bogeys and three birdies in his two-over par 74, with the front-nine proving particularly problematic for the Dubliner.

McIlroy could only go one better, though he did well to recover from an awful start; the Ulsterman's 73 included a double-bogey at the par-four first, although he did well to come back straight away with a birdie on the second, and he also took six at the par-five 14th. Again, he recovered a shot quickly, getting a birdie on the short par-four 16th.

Lurking just one shot behind Lowry is world number one Tiger Woods who, with an unusually large first-day crowd watching, carded an opening round five-under-par 67.

But the spectators might have paid closer attention to Buick Invitational winner Watney as the two-time US PGA Tour winner claimed the clubhouse lead ahead of Irish Open winner Lowry compatriot Ryan Moore and Race to Dubai contender Martin Kaymer.

Chinese Taipei's Lin Wen-tang, the reigning Hong Kong Open champion, joined Woods and his fellow Ryder Cup winner Anthony Kim, and England's Paul Casey are in the clubhouse tied for fifth with Woods.

Watney, who started on the back nine, had looked on course to break the course record and had a outside chance of a magical 59 after reaching the turn in 31 courtesy of a 30-foot eagle putt.

He then reeled off an amazing run of four straight birdies at the start of his back nine, the highlight another mammoth 30-foot putt at the fourth.

The fireworks, though, stopped there for the 28-year-old, runner-up to Phil Mickelson at March's WGC-CA Championship, and he blotted his scorecard with a final-hole bogey following a costly three putt after failing to pick up further gains on his trip home.

'I played very well, I got off to a nice start. And the greens are so good that if you hit a putt on line, it's definitely going to go in,' said world number 32 Watney.

'I was putting very well and I just tried to give myself as many chances as possible and I was able to make a few.'