MEDINAH, Illinois, 18 August 2006 — Late replacement Billy Andrade set the early pace in the opening round of the PGA Championship with twice winner Tiger Woods in hot pursuit yesterday.

American Andrade, added to the field on Tuesday after 1995 champion Steve Elkington withdrew because of personal reasons, fired a five-under-par 67 in near-perfect conditions at Medinah Country Club.

A four-times winner on the PGA Tour, the 42-year-old rattled up five birdies in a blemish-free display to hold a one-shot lead in the clubhouse.

Compatriot Stewart Cink opened with a 68 while Fred Funk returned a 69.

But American Billy Mayfair, who had surgery for testicular cancer earlier this month, was poised to eclipse leader Andrade after getting to six under with six holes to play.

Tournament favorite Woods, chasing his 12th career major after winning last month’s British Open at Hoylake, was in the hunt at two under after 15 holes.

Playing in the same group as Masters champion Phil Mickelson and US Open winner Geoff Ogilvy of Australia, Woods recovered from a stumbling start with birdies at the 12th, 14th and 15th.

Teeing off at the 10th, the world No. 1 pulled his drive into the left rough, clipped a tree with his recovery and over-hit the green with his wedge approach before chipping 30 feet past the hole.

A two-putt gave him a bogey six and he failed to convert a good birdie opportunity at the par-four 11th after hitting his approach to nine feet.

Woods rallied with a birdie at the 12th where he powered a massive drive more than 300 yards and unerringly rifled a wedge to within six feet of the hole.

He also picked up shots on 14 and 15 and narrowly missed birdie putts on 16 and 17 to stay at two under.

Mickelson, winner of last year’s title at Baltusrol, was level with Woods despite slipping back after a red-hot start on a calm, clear morning.

The American left-hander drew first blood in his head-to-head with Woods with an opening birdie, narrowly missing an eagle putt from 35 feet after reaching the 10th green in two.

He then struck his second to within six feet of the flag at the 11th before tapping in to lie one stroke behind early pacesetters Kenneth Ferrie of Britain, Andrade, Cink and US Ryder Cup hopeful Lucas Glover. After scrambling pars on 16, 17 and 18, Mickelson bogeyed the par-three second before rallying with another birdie at the par-five fifth.

Among the late starters, twice winner Vijay Singh of Fiji faced an 1835 GMT tee-off from the first, in the company of past champions John Daly and Jeff Sluman of the US South Africa’s Ernie Els, whose father-in-law died in Cape Town on Wednesday, will tee off two groups earlier at 1815 GMT with Spaniard Sergio Garcia and American Fred Couples.

Before the start of the year’s final major, US Ryder Cup captain Tom Lehman led a memorial service for Darren Clarke’s wife Heather, who died of cancer on Sunday.

Her funeral was due to take place one hour later in Portrush, Ireland.