Golf: Tiger upstaged in Melbourne

A pair of Australian travelling buddies have overshadowed golf's fallen superstar Tiger Woods to share the lead midway through the opening round at the Australian Masters.

Victoria's Alistair Presnell and South Australia's Adam Bland have shared rooms on the US second-tier Nationwide Tour for the past two years.

Today, they shared top spot on the Masters leaderboard at Victoria Golf Club after both shrugged aside unremarkable recent form to shoot six-under-par rounds of 65.

Fellow Australians Andre Stolz, Craig Hasthorpe and Luke Bleumink shared third place with New Zealander Gareth Paddison on four under nearing the end of the morning session.

Woods, seeking his first win since last year's Masters at fellow Melbourne sandbelt course Kingston Heath, shot an opening round 69, to be four shots from the lead.

The 14-time major winner, who teed off from the 10th hole, made an uninspiring start, with his putter running cold early as he was one over par through seven holes.

He notched three birdies in his next six holes to drag himself back into touch with the leaders, but still left the course frustrated.

"That was probably the highest score I could have shot today," Woods said.

"I didn't make anything, I kept leaving every putt short, my speed was just slightly off."

Presnell fired an eagle and five birdies to race to seven under after 15 holes, at one stage holding a three-shot lead, but had his only blemish for the round on his final hole, the par five ninth, which he bogeyed after finding some trees.

The Victorian, who shot a final round 60 to win the Victorian PGA at Sandhurst in February, said he had been helped by a new putter this week after some recent struggles on the greens.

He was surprised to be heading a field including the likes of Woods, and Australian stars Robert Allenby and Geoff Ogilvy.

"After the last month I'm pinching myself I can actually be under par, let alone shooting 65, it's very nice," he said.

Bland was at one under par, before roaring home with five birdies in his last six holes.

He was also surprised, saying the past three months had been probably the poorest stretch of his career.

Meanwhile, Woods received polite applause, but nothing like the rapturous reception that greeted him on the opening day of last year's Masters.

He teed off with Australians Allenby and Brett Rumford in front of a crowd of a couple of hundred.

His life and game have crumbled since last year's Masters, after the sex scandal which cost him his marriage.

His rusty swing and putting were evident on the early holes, but he fared better than local favourites Allenby, who was eight shots from the lead after shooting 73, and Ogilvy, who shot 72.

- AAP