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Tiger Woods has anointed a fast-finishing Jason Day as the player to beat during the closing rounds at the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational in Ohio.

Woods, an eight time winner at Ohio's Firestone Country Club, has watched the Australian surge up the leaderboard while paired with Day for the first two rounds.

But after Day fired a four-under-par 66 on day two to climb to nine under, two shots off the halfway pace, Woods says he will keep one eye on the former world No.1.

"I've seen (Day) stripe it before and he's certainly capable of hitting just so many good shots," Woods said.

"He doesn't really miss many putts. So you put those two things together on a golf course like this, he's going to be in contention."

Day shares fourth place and will start Saturday's third round looking to reel in a three-way tie for the lead at 11-under held by England duo Ian Poulter (67) and Tommy Fleetwood (63), as well as world No.3 Justin Thomas (64).

12-time US Tour winner Day has admitted nerves were a big factor in his lacklustre results in previous competitive pairings with 14-time major winner Woods.

In the five previous occasions Day and Woods played together, Day missed the cut three times.

"He was my idol growing up, so it's easy to be nervous in front of your idol and he's so cut-throat he doesn't even care; he's not going to comfort you," Day said of Woods, whose 68 left him sharing 10th at six under.

Those jitters looked to be resurfacing early on day two when Day wasted two early front-nine birdies with two bogeys before the turn.

But Day responded immediately with a birdie at the 10th and three more coming home.

The 30-year-old Queenslander believes overcoming those nerves gives him a confidence boost as he looks to finally claim a maiden title at Firestone.

"I feel like I'm not even putting my best and if I can do that I will definitely give myself a chance to win on Sunday," said Day, statistically the best putter on the US Tour.

Meanwhile, Marc Leishman is next best of the Australians, sharing 10th at six-under having signed for a 69, while Wade Ormsby (71) and Cameron Smith (70) are at even par.

Adam Scott, the 2011 WGC-Bridgestone winner, had a day to forget with a 75 sinking his total to three over.

Pornanong Phatlum has demonstrated the growing depth of Thai golf talent when she vaulted to the halfway lead at the Women's British Open.

She posted a 67 and a 10-under 134 total, while Australian first round leader Minjee Lee (70), Japan's Mamiko Higa (69) and England's Georgia Hall (68) were nipping at her heels on nine-under.

Phatlum arrived at the Lytham course with a dreadful Open record of only one cut made in seven previous starts, but she seems to have finally come to grips with the style of golf required on British seaside courses.

"(The) links course is pretty hard for me," she said.

"Every year I just try to plan to do my best. I didn't have good times, so right now I (feel) like I got more experience and like more confidence on my swing."

But she will have to keep making birdies to hold off the pack, including Lee, who finished poorly, dropping three shots in the final three holes.

Hall had no such problems in a bogey-free round as she rode the support of the home gallery.

"It just makes me happy that I see so many people supporting me," she said. "I don't really feel any pressure at all."

Hall finished in a tie for third at last year's Open. She plays with a refreshingly uncomplicated outlook.

"I just go out there and try to commit to my shot and whatever happens from there, happens.

"I try not to worry about too much and hopefully try to sink some putts."

Canadian Brooke Henderson (70) inched within five shots of the lead, thanks to an ace with a nine-iron from 141 yards at the ninth.

Aaron Baddeley is in joint second after the opening round of the Barracuda Championship and well placed to notch a crucial victory on the PGA Tour.

The Australian is just three points behind leader Ollie Schniederjans, who scored five points with a closing eagle in the PGA's only modified Stableford scoring event.

Schniederjans hit a five-iron approach from 275 yards to three feet to set up the eagle on the par-5 18th at the Montreux Golf and Country Club.

He finished with 17 points, also making six birdies. Players receive eight points for an albatross, five for eagle, two for birdie and zero for par. A point is subtracted for bogey, and three points are subtracted for double bogey or worse.

"Eagles are huge in this format," Schniederjans said. "So, it's a little more nerve-wracking, three-footer being three more points. It's interesting you have putts that are worth more than others."

But the tournament presents Baddeley, who is 135th in the FedEx Cup race, with a big opportunity to make the playoffs.

With most of the world's top players competing at the Bridgestone Invitational in Ohio, this is his chance to forge his way into the top 125.

But he is not feeling the pressure.

"I'm not stressed to be honest," said Baddeley. "Whether you go to Web finals or whether you finish in the 126 to 150 category, you're going to get starts and my game's in a good spot.

"I'm at ease with whatever happens. Just got to go out and play and try and win a golf tournament."

Baddeley's compatriot Rod Pampling holed out for eagle from 123 yards on the par-4 14th to get to 15 points, but then dropped six points on the final four holes with three bogeys and a closing triple bogey.

Denny McCarthy was tied for the lead with a hole to play but lost three points with a double bogey on the par-4 ninth to sit alongside Baddeley.

"This golf course isn't easy," McCarthy said. "If you get out of position, it's tough. That's how you can make scores. Like at home, on the last hole, minus-three, double. But for the most part I was putting it in play. I was giving myself really good looks on the greens."

Defending champion Chris Stroud has seven points along with Australian Geoff Ogilvy, the 2014 winner, and Hunter Mahan.

The winner will earn a spot in the PGA Championship next week at Bellerive, if not already eligible.

Jason Day and Tiger Woods lived up to their billing as the group to watch at the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational during a thrilling first round at Firestone Country Club in Ohio.

Paired together, the former world No.1s went toe-to-toe during a birdie-filled exchange and are both well in the mix at the 71-man event.

Woods, an eight-time winner at Firestone, took a one-shot advantage over close friend Day at the difficult par-4 18th hole (his ninth) when he drained a 50-foot monster birdie putt.

But with Woods finishing his round with a bogey, Day took group honours with a five-under-par 65 while 14-time major winner Woods settled for a 66.

Day shares seventh with a host of others including fellow Australian Marc Leishman and four-time major winner Rory McIlroy - just three shots back of Ian Poulter (62).

English star Poulter set the pace at eight under, one shot ahead of Americans Rickie Fowler and Kyle Stanley (63).

While Woods was firing on all cylinders early in the round, Day manufactured birdies from the trees after several wild tee shots.

"Tiger did that for such a long time to everyone else, so it was nice to be able to do it to him," Day joked after the round.

"It's really nice to have Tiger back out here; you can tell how much he moves the needle with the crowds and the hype being so massive."

Day, who held the final round lead in 2016, anointed 42-year-old Woods as the man to beat this week.

"He's won 79 times on tour; it's still in there somewhere," Day said of Woods, who held the lead on Sunday at the recent British Open en route to a tie for sixth.

"He's not too far away from going on a pretty big tear."

Woods agreed and warned his best golf was yet to come.

"It's nice to shoot rounds like I did at the Open and like I did today, where I may not feel the best but I'm able to post a score," Woods said.

"That's how you win golf tournaments."

Marc Leishman has revealed Jarrod Lyle's decision to begin palliative care as his inspiration behind his swashbuckling first round at the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational in Ohio.

Australian world No.19 Leishman hit just four of 14 fairways at the difficult Firestone Country Club but salvaged a remarkable five-under-par 65 to sit three shots behind first round leader Ian Poulter (62).

English star Poulter set the pace at eight under - one shot ahead of Americans Rickie Fowler and Kyle Stanley (63).

Leishman said good mate Lyle, who this week ceased cancer treatment, was on his mind as he salvaged seven birdies and two bogeys despite hitting just 13 greens in regulation.

"A big part of me wants to win it (for Lyle)," Leishman said.

"It would be great to have a beer out of that trophy for him at the end of the week."

Former world No.1 Jason Day matched countryman Leishman's 65 and says he is also hungry to lift the trophy for former US Tour player Lyle.

"To have that platform to dedicate it to him would be special, but we have to put ourselves in position to pull that off," Day said.

With competitors sporting yellow ribbons on day one at Firestone in support of Lyle, Scott was buoyed by talk in the locker-room that US Tour players are planning to rally hard to look after the Lyle family long-term.

"I think we've all got him on our minds for sure and in fairness, it's not just the Aussie boys," Scott said.

"Everyone was talking about him this morning and what they're trying to do for him and his family, which is so nice because he's touched everyone out here."

On the course, Day played with eight-time WGC-Bridgestone champion Tiger Woods, who fulfilled his end of the marquee pairing with a tidy 66, leaving him at four-under.

Adam Scott was next best of the Australians at two-under, having mixed five birdies with three bogeys, but the 2011 WGC-Bridgestone winner is confident of climbing up the leaderboard on day two.

"It was there for the taking today, but a couple of missed fairways cost me a few bogeys," Scott said.

"I putted well and if I can tighten up the driver, there are certainly good rounds out there for me."

South Australian Wade Ormsby was one-under after a 69, while compatriot Cameron Smith signed for an even-par 70.

Australia's Minjee Lee has taken a one-stroke lead at the Women's British Open after chalking up a seven-under par 65 in her opening round at Royal Lytham.

Lee sank a 25-foot eagle at the par-five 15th and followed up with a birdie from a similar distance at the next on her way to a seven-under-par 65 and a one-stroke lead over Japan's Mamiko Higa.

"I holed quite a lot of putts from far away," Lee said.

The 22-year-old from Perth has four LPGA titles and is coming off second place at the Ladies Scottish Open on Sunday.

The West Australian said her performance had given her the confidence to believe she can win a first major championship.

"I know I can play around a links course and handle those conditions so I'm in a good place," Lee said.

"I did hole quite a lot of putts from just inside 30 feet today.

"I don't think I holed any that were really short. I've been hitting it pretty solid and really happy with where I am right now."

A win on Sunday would make her only the third Australian woman to claim a major championship, after Karrie Webb (seven) and Jan Stephenson (three).

Japan Mamiko Higa was a shot behind Lee, while five players - Georgia Hall, Teresa Lu, Park Sung-hyun, Lee Mi-hyang and Pornanong Phatlum - were a further stroke adrift.

Higa, fourth on this year's Japan LPGA money list, would join an even more exclusive club.

Only one player from her nation has captured a major, Chako Higuchi at the 1977 Women's PGA Championship.

Meanwhile, world No.1 Ariya Jutanugarn of Thailand eased into her week with a 71 that included a double-bogey.

American Michelle Wie withdrew after 12 holes, citing an ongoing hand/wrist injury. Wie was eight-over at the time.

"I have been doing everything humanly possible (besides giving it proper rest) this past couple of weeks to get my hand healthy enough to play this event," she said on social media.

"Unfortunately, it wasn't enough.

"I gave it my all today but I just couldn't handle the pain any longer. I'm devastated that I had to withdraw mid-round, but I felt that if I kept pushing through the pain, I would have injured my hand further."

Australians Nick Cullen, Jarryd Felton, Andrew Dodt and New Zealander Ben Campbell have registered five-under-par 67s to share the lead on the opening day of the Fiji International.

Of the quartet, Dodt was the only one to manage a bogey-free round on Thursday and he recorded birdies on the first, fifth and 15th as well as an eagle on the par-five 17th at Natadola Bay.

Fellow Australians Cullen and Felton had just one blemish, while Campbell dropped shots on the second and 13th but made seven birdies.

Matthew Griffin registered three birdies in a row and sits two shots off the lead, alongside Australian compatriots Maverick Antcliff and Stephen Leaney.

Ernie Els, a 28-time winner on the European Tour but whose last victory came five years ago, birdied his final hole to card a level-par 72.

Tiger Woods says anger from his British Open near-miss is fuelling his effort to end his five-year title drought with an astonishing ninth World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational victory.

The 14-time major winner admits he needed a Swiss holiday to get over his back-nine blunders at Carnoustie, when he hit the lead in the Open before dropping three shots across the 11th and 12th holes.

The three-time winner of the Claret Jug had to settle for a share of sixth.

"(I knew) it was going to sting for a while, and it certainly does because I had a great chance at it," Woods said on Wednesday.

"I'm always mad when I don't win."

Without a win for five often injury-plagued years, Woods felt he was in his best form of the year going into the Open.

"I knew that if I executed my game plan, I was going to be in contention, which I did. Unfortunately, I just didn't win.

"The way I made a couple mistakes there at 11 and 12 ended up costing me a chance of winning the tournament."

Woods returns to Akron, Ohio for the WGC-Bridgestone for the first time since withdrawing during the final round in 2014.

With eight victories between 1999 and 2013, Woods is the undisputed king of the Firestone Country Club course.

The 42-year-old says he hasn't been more confident since his return from spinal fusion surgery last year, which forced a 10-month stint on the sidelines and legitimate thoughts of retirement.

"I certainly can win again," Woods said.

"I've had an opportunity to win a couple times this year."

Greg Norman has put out a heartfelt message for fellow Australian golfer Jarrod Lyle following his heartbreaking decision to enter palliative care.

There has been an outpouring of grief from across the world for the popular 36-year-old following the announcement by Lyle's wife Briony on Tuesday night.

Briony posted her husband "has given everything that he's got to give and his poor body cannot take anymore".

Former world No.1 Norman says he is "absolutely devastated" to learn Lyle's third battle with cancer will be terminal.

"I can't imagine having to make a decision like this, but there is comfort in knowing how much love he is surrounded by," Norman wrote on Twitter.

"From family to friends to fans, everyone is with him on this impossible journey.

"Jarrod - you have exemplified strength and courage for your wife and beautiful daughters, for Australia and for the golf community that has walked this road with you for many years.

"The world will be less without you."

Norman wasn't the only major winner to lend his support to Lyle, with South African great Ernie Els sending out a message on behalf of himself, wife Liezl and his two children.

"Life is very precious and you have been so strong," Els said.

"We are thinking and praying for you and your family now more than ever."

Current Australian PGA Tour stars Jason Day, Adam Scott and Marc Leishmann have all expressed their disbelief that something so bad could happen to someone so good.

"His positivity and general demeanour has been so good and so infectious on others; it's a good way to think of how I should live my life," Scott said.

"It shouldn't have to have something like this to remember that's what it's all about."

Lyle's popularity has transcended sport with Hollywood film star Dwayne Johnson one of his admirers.

"Sending so much love, light and strength to Jarrod and his Lyle family," Johnson wrote.

It's time to start taking serious notice of Minjee Lee.

Seeking her maiden major title, the young Australian goes into the Women's British Open in such good form that she's second on the LPGA Tour's season-long points standings.

With a victory, two runner-ups and five other top-10 results on the LPGA Tour this season, the 22-year-old Lee is among the favourites at Royal Lytham this week.

She's coming off a second placing to world No.1 Ariya Jutanugarn - the points race leader - at the Scottish Open, where she only missed out on playoff when her birdie putt at the last hole lipped out following a final round duel with the Thai star.

But world No.8 Lee, whose best result at the majors is a tie for third at last year's ANA Inspiration, is confident she won't feel unnecessary pressure this week.

"Every tournament you should have the same mindset; if this is my week, then it is my week," Lee said.

"I go into every week with the same attitude and will stick to my routines and do everything in my control.

"Yes, I feel ready to have a great week, although I will draw from my previous experiences and try to do my best."

Lee owns a top 10 finish at the 2016 Women's British Open but missed the cut last year at Kingsbarns in Scotland.

Perth native Lee spearheads an eight-player Australian contingent at Royal Lytham, including seven-time major winner Karrie Webb who put on a vintage display to tie for 11th at the Scottish Open.

Three-time British Open champion Webb, 43, has unfinished business at the Lancashire links course having finished second to Scotland's Catriona Matthew the last time the event was held at Royal Lytham in 2009.

Like Webb, Queenslander Katherine Kirk has an axe to grind at the Open having lost by a shot to 2010 winner Yani Tseng at nearby Royal Birkdale.

Sarah Jane Smith got a taste of major championship contention throughout the recent US Women's Open but faded to a share of fifth.

Rounding out the Australian contingent are Su Oh, Rebecca Artis, Hannah Green and Sarah Kemp.