Veteran Langer off to Honda flyer

Langer had five birdies in his round

FIRST-ROUND LEADERBOARD
(US unless stated)
-5 C Wi (Kor)
-4 B Langer (Ger)
-3 M Dawson, R Allenby (Aus), J Ogilvie, C Kresqe
Selected others:
-2 B Davis (Eng), P Harrington (Ire)
level I Poulter (Eng)
+7 L Donald (Eng)

Germany's Bernhard Langer rolled back the years with a 66 in the first round of the Honda Classic in Florida.

The two-time Masters champion, 49, finished the day in second, one stroke behind South Korea's Charlie Wi.

England's Brian Davis and Ireland's Padraig Harrington are tied for seventh after shooting two-under-par 68s.

Ian Poulter carded an even-par 70, but defending champion and fellow Englishman Luke Donald struggled to a woeful 77, including eight bogeys.

Langer, who teed off in the opening group, bogeyed the first but made nothing but birdies and pars from then on.

He claimed five birdies in total and hit 15 greens in regulation on a course playing longer than its 7,048 yards.

"I can only hit it so far, so you've just got to hit more clubs into the greens," he said.

"It's extremely tough to score from the rough here. You need to drive the ball in the fairway and then try and hit greens."