Honda Classic: Slow start for Rory McIlroy as Tiger Woods struggles PGA Tour Honda Classic Venue: Palm Beach Gardens, Florida Date: 28 Feb-3 March Leaderboard (US unless stated) 6: C Villegas (Col) 5: B Grace (SA), G DeLaet (Can), R Fowler, R Streb 4: L Westwood (Eng), B Weekley, S O'Hair, D Johnson, F Gomez (Arg), B Horschel, S-Y Noh (Kor), B Kohles, D LaBelle II, B Stuard Selected others: -3 G McDowell (NI); -2 J Rose (Eng); Level R McIlroy (NI), T Woods; +1 M Kaymer (Ger) Rory McIlroy's slow start to the year continued as he began the defence of his Honda Classic crown in Florida. The world number one carded a level-par 70 to finish the first round tied in 61st place and six shots off the pace. Tiger Woods, runner-up to McIlroy last year, also had to settle for a 70 after battling back from a run of bogeys. Colombian Camilo Villegas leads at six under with England's Lee Westwood and Northern Ireland's Graeme McDowell two and three shots behind respectively. England's Justin Rose matched McDowell's 67 for a share of 16th place. Honda Classic - recent winners 2012 - Rory McIlroy (Northern Ireland) 2011 - Rory Sabbatini (South Africa) 2010 - Camilo Villegas (Colombia) 2009 - Yang Yong-Eun (South Korea) 2008 - Ernie Els (South Africa) So far this year, Northern Ireland's McIlroy has struggled to rediscover the form that has elevated him to the top of the world rankings. He came into this tournament following last week's first-round exit at the WGC Match Play to the Republic of Ireland's Shane Lowry. McIlroy, 23, made a steady start, parring each of his first five holes, but dropped a shot at the par-four sixth. He recovered at the ninth but mixed a bogey with a birdie on the back nine to close with a lacklustre 70. Woods described his opening round in south Florida as "boring" but the 14-time Major winner did cause a splash when he found the water at the par-four sixth. He took off his shoes and put on some waterproof trousers before retrieving the ball from the creek with a nine-iron. Also related to this story