Shanghai, China (My Sportsbook) - Nick Watney matched the course record at Sheshan International Golf Club on Thursday with an eight-under 64 and took the first-round lead of the WGC-HSBS Champions.

Martin Kaymer, who is second to Lee Westwood in the Race to Dubai, Shane Lowry and Ryan Moore are knotted in second place at six-under 66.

This tournament is a World Golf Championships event for the first time and the field reflects the championship's new status.

World No. 1 Tiger Woods, a 17-time winner of WGC events, managed a five-under 67 on Thursday and is part of a group tied for fifth place.

Woods began on the 10th tee Thursday and parred his first four holes. He birdied the par-five 14th after a great play from a fairway bunker to get into red numbers, then collected another front-nine birdie at No. 16.

The world's best birdied two in a row from the second and after a birdie at the fifth, was at five-under for the championship. Woods stumbled to a bogey at the sixth, but got the stroke back thanks to an excellent approach that led to birdie at the eighth.

Phil Mickelson, who captured this title in 2007 before it was a WGC event, posted a three-under 69 and shares 13th place.

The game's two best players are chasing Watney, a two-time PGA Tour winner.

Watney also started on the second nine Thursday and flew out of the gate with back-to-back birdies at 10 and 11. He sank a 30-footer for eagle at the 14th and followed with a birdie at 15 to go five-under through his first six.

Watney, who won this year's Buick Invitational on the PGA Tour, parred the last three on his opening nine, but then went on a run that had him thinking 59.

He birdied his first four holes on the second nine, including another 30- footer, this time at four. Watney was nine-under through 13, but didn't let the low score impact his game.

"Since this was only the first day, I was not remotely jumpy," said Watney. "I just tried to focus on the next two holes because there's trouble out there."

Watney parred his next four, but his chance at the outright course record was derailed due to a three-putt bogey at his closing hole.

Despite the miscue at his last, Watney was very happy with his flat stick.

"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," said Watney, who finished second to Mickelson at this year's WGC - CA Championship. "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."

Woods was joined in fifth by Paul Casey, Wen-tang Lin and Anthony Kim, who lost last week's Volvo World Match Play Championship in the final against Ross Fisher.

Nick Dougherty, Matt Kuchar, Pat Perez and Jyoti Randhawa are knotted in ninth at minus-four.

British Open winner Stewart Cink carded a one-under 71 and is tied for 28th, while PGA Champion Y.E. Yang shot an even-par 72 and is in a logjam tied for 38th.

Defending champion Sergio Garcia struggled to a three-over 75 and is tied for 69th place in the 78-man field.