Chaska, MN (My Sportsbook) - Tiger Woods fired a five-under 67 Thursday to take the lead during the first round of the season's last major, the PGA Championship.

Defending champion Padraig Harrington, who played with Woods on Thursday, shot a four-under 68 and is alone in second place at Hazeltine National Golf Club, the longest PGA Championship layout in history.

These two are back in the forefront after last week's final round at the WGC- Bridgestone Invitational. Harrington held the lead going into Sunday, but Woods' 65 was enough to give him his 70th PGA Tour victory.

Despite a little controversy about the two being on the clock on Sunday, the story was Woods. He is majorless in 2009 and the last time he went a whole season without winning one of golf's big four was 2004.

But Woods came to Hazeltine, where he finished second in 2002, on fire. He not only became the first player in PGA Tour history to win seven times at the same venue last week, but he won the Buick Open the week prior.

On Thursday, Woods started on the No. 10 tee and collected his first birdie at the par-four, 518-yard 12th. He ran home a 12-foot birdie putt, then took advantage of the next par five.

At 642 yards, few thought anyone could reach the 15th green in two.

Woods hit a three-wood through the green and into a back bunker. He blasted out to a foot and tapped in for an easy birdie. One hole later, Woods narrowly missed a 25-footer for birdie. He made the turn at two-under par, then got going early on his second nine.

Woods knocked his approach to 25 feet at the par-four second. He rolled in the birdie chance, then made one from slightly longer for birdie at the par-five third.

That birdie tied Woods for the lead at minus-four.

At the par-five seventh, Woods found the putting surface with his second shot. He lagged his eagle try close, then tapped in for the birdie that give him the outright lead.

He missed chances coming into the clubhouse, but Woods did enough to grab first.

"I hit the ball well pretty much all day and hit some good putts, even though I didn't make a lot of putts," said Woods, a four-time PGA Champion. "It really could have been a low number today."

While it wasn't Woods' lowest first-round score in a major (he's had two 65s), it was his best since the 2005 British Open Championship. He won that tournament and it bodes well for his chances at a first major win of 2009.

Woods tied for sixth at the Masters and U.S. Open, then missed the cut at the British Open.

"I had six bad holes in a row. But if you take the overall body of work, it wasn't that bad. I actually played pretty good," Woods said of his play at Turnberry. "Unfortunately, those six holes cost me an opportunity to even play on the weekend."

It looks like he will definitely be around this weekend for a chance at his 15th major championship.

Standing closest in his way is the 2008 PGA champion, Harrington.

The Irishman, who also won the 2007 and 2008 British Opens, mixed five birdies and a single bogey in his first round Thursday.

After a two-major campaign last year, Harrington underwent huge swing changes that have taken some time to pay off. Last week's runner-up was his only top 10 on the PGA Tour in 2009.

"I've got what I need to do in my head clear, and once that's clear I'm back thinking about how to perform on the golf course, how to score on the golf course, and that's showing up in my score," said Harrington.

Hunter Mahan was at four-under par until a bogey at the last. He shot a three- under 69 and is tied for third place with Robert Allenby, long-hitting Alvaro Quiros and Mathew Goggin, who played with Tom Watson on Sunday at the British Open.

Lee Westwood, Paul Goydos, Thongchai Jaidee, Michael Bradley and Graeme McDowell are knotted in seventh place at minus-two.

Sergio Garcia carded a one-under 71 and is part of a group tied for 12th, with, among others, Rich Beem, who hoisted the Wanamaker Trophy seven years ago at Hazeltine.

Phil Mickelson, the 2005 PGA Champion, teed off Thursday afternoon.

This year's major winners, Angel Cabrera, Lucas Glover and Stewart Cink, also played in the afternoon.