The 26-year-old Levin, whose bid for a maiden PGA Tour win fell short in a playoff last week, fired four birdies and one bogey for a one-shot lead over Australians Stuart Appleby and Greg Chalmers, South African Charl Schwartzel, American Kyle Stanley and 2009 Honda champion South Korean Yang Yong-eun.

"It was very difficult as you could tell by the scores out there, it's a heck of a golf course," said Levin, one of just eight players to break par. "Those last four holes are hard anyway ... You throw a 30-mile-an-hour wind in your face on three of them, it makes it even that much more difficult.

"It was blowing hard out there, it really was." Westwood, who could reclaim the world number one ranking from Germany's Martin Kaymer with a solo third place finish or better, battled to an even-par 70 in windy conditions at the PGA National Champion course.

Playing the back nine first, world No.2 Westwood got off to a slow start with bogeys at 12 and 17 but recovered with four birdies against two more bogeys on his closing nine to sit three off the pace.

Luke Donald, the world number three from Britain who is fresh off a win at the WGC-Accenture Match Play championship, got off to a disastrous start with a triple bogey seven at the par-four 11th, his second hole, and posted a three-over 73.

Northern Ireland's Graeme McDowell, the world No. 4, joined Donald on 73 after a difficult round that featured three bogeys.

South African Ernie Els and Colombian Camilo Villegas, a pair of former Honda winners, had disappointing rounds.

Els, the 2008 Honda champion, opened with four straight bogeys from the 10th followed by a double-bogey at 15 to stand six-over through six holes en route to a 75.

Defending champion Villegas continued his poor start to the 2011 campaign as he shot a nine-over 79 that included two double bogeys and five bogeys.