ORLANDO, Fla. — In their own way, Jason Gore and Tiger Woods changed their fortunes yesterday at Bay Hill.

Gore was not seeing any results from an overhaul to his swing until he ran off three birdies over the final four holes for a 5-under 65 that gave him a one-shot lead in the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

Woods was in the water, in the trees and in a foul mood until he had eight consecutive one-putts — including four straight birdies — that put him in a good frame of mind with a 68 on a course where he has won five times as a pro.

"I was not hitting it well, and I had to scramble and grind it out and manage to score," Woods said. He managed just fine, taking only 24 putts in the first round.

Tim Herron, who won Bay Hill in a playoff 10 years ago, and Jeff Overton shot 66s, while the group at 67 included Nick Watney and Mark Wilson.

Gore is a PGA Tour winner, but the golf hasn't gone so well lately.

He lost his PGA Tour card last year, then decided after Q-school to work with Mike Abbott and redo his swing. Gore wouldn't ordinarily make it to an event like the Arnold Palmer Invitational, but he received an exemption.

That was no accident.

Gore told Palmer last year at a corporate outing how much he had influenced his life. When he saw him earlier this month at Seminole, he thanked Palmer for the exemption. Palmer winked at him and replied, "I never forgot that story."

Hawai'i's Parker McLachlin, a Punahou School alum, opened with a 9-over 79.

EUROPEAN TOUR

SEVILLE, Spain — Colin Montgomerie celebrated his 500th European Tour event with a 5-under 67, leaving the Scottish star a stroke behind countryman Chris Doak after the first round of the Andalucia Open. Doak had a bogey-free 66 on the Real Club de Golf de Sevilla course. Montgomerie, who will captain the 2010 Ryder Cup team, was tied with Steven O'Hara, Jean-Francois Lucquin and Juan Parron.