MIAMI – Australian Robert Allenby birdied his final hole to card a four-under 66 and grab a one-shot lead after the opening round of the Honda Classic on Thursday.

Making just his third PGA Tour start of the season, Allenby began on the back nine and had a roller coaster finish dropping shots at the sixth and eighth holes while making birdies at seven and nine to take charge on a blustery day at PGA National Resort in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.

"I played very solid all day," Allenby told reporters. "Obviously tough conditions when it's blowing like this out of the north.

"It blew all day. It never changed. The only thing it did toward the end was get cold.

"It's just not an easy golf course.

"I think any time you shoot under par around this golf course, you're doing well.

"I think four-under is a fantastic start, puts me in great stead for the next three days."

Sitting one shot adrift at three-under are six players, led by Spain's world number two Sergio Garcia and 2007 U.S. Open champion Angel Cabrera of Argentina.

Garcia had looked poised to mount an early charge, picking up four birdies on a flawless front nine but stalled after the turn mixing eight pars with bogey at the 15th.

South Korea's Charlie Wi and Americans Jeff Overton, Stewart Cink and Will MacKenzie also opened with 67s.

"I still felt like I played great on the back nine, and I shot one-over," said Garcia. "That tells you everything about this course, and the last four or five holes are quite tough.

"I was happy to finish three-under and it's a good start."

Darkness forced an end of play with nine players still on the course, including American Erik Compton who has returned to the Tour after undergoing a second heart transplant last year.

Despite a triple-bogey on his second hole, the Florida native battled his way into contention getting to one-under with two to play.

Ernie Els got the defense of his title off to a shaky start by signing for a three-over 73 to join Colombian Camilo Villegas seven shots behind the leader.

The smooth-swinging South African, who made the quarter-finals at the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship, would have expected a better performance given he was only commuting to the course from his nearby Florida home.