Donald makes early running

Donald, whose last victory came in the same tournament two years ago, returned a six-under-par 64 on the PGA National's Champion Course, roaring home in just 31 strokes.

Donald said: "I really played pretty consistently throughout the day - I did a lot of good things around the greens and when I had my chances I took them."

He added: "I need to improve my driving, though. I probably hit only half the fairways."

The 30-year-old, knocked out in the second round of the Accenture World Match Play by Angel Cabrera last week, birdied the third, fourth, 10th and 13th before producing a superb tee shot to two feet on the 179-yard 15th.

Donald managed to save par at the next after driving into a bunker and on the 604-yard last pitched to four feet for a sixth birdie of the day.

Fellow Englishman Brian Davis, in his fourth season on the US Tour, is only one shot behind after also keeping a bogey off his card.

The 33-year-old matched Donald's outward 33, then picked up further birdies on the 10th, 13th and 16th, where he rolled in a 50-foot putt.

Ernie Els, meanwhile, put last week's first-round hammering by Jonathan Byrd behind him with a 67 and 2001 winner Jesper Parnevik shot 68, but Sergio Garcia could do no better than a three-over 73 and Welshman Richard Johnson was one further back.

Justin Rose, who in his first two starts this year missed the cut in Los Angeles and then lost to Rod Pampling in the first round at the match play, Kenneth Ferrie and Scot Martin Laird are among the later starters.