updated 7:31 p.m. ET May 6, 2004

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Thousands of fans watching Tiger Woods post his first bogey-free round of the year missed out on all the excitement behind them — Kirk Triplett setting the course record at the Wachovia Championship with an 8-under 64.

Triplett took a two-shot lead Thursday by closing his stellar round with three straight birdies, the last one from 45 feet on No. 9, just 15 minutes after Woods and his massive following were gone.

“They missed most of it, I think,” said Triplett, playing two groups behind Woods.

Triplett didn’t miss hardly anything, taking only 11 putts over the last nine holes to pull away from an enormous pack of players that included just about everyone except the three biggest stars at Quail Hollow.

Vijay Singh, trying to become the first player in nearly five years to win three straight weeks, had a chance to take the early lead until he three-putted from 18 feet for bogey on the last hole for a 68.

Woods carved out a 69, making his birdies with simple up-and-downs on the par-5s and finishing with two solid par saves — a 75-foot bunker shot to tap-in range, and a full swing on a flop shot 40 feet from the flag that stopped just 3 feet behind the hole.

More importantly, he took big numbers and bogeys out of the equation. Woods was surprised to hear it was his first round without a bogey all year in a stroke-play tournament.

“Doesn’t Match Play count?” he asked.

Masters champion Phil Mickelson was poised to join the early leaders until he missed a 6-foot birdie on the par-5 15th and followed that with his only bogey in a round of 70. It was his 17th consecutive round at par or better.

Fredrik Jacobson, Stuart Appleby and Brett Quigley were at 66, while the half-dozen players at 67 included former Masters champion Mike Weir, who had four straight birdies in the middle of his round and three straight at the end.

No one got on a roll quite like Triplett.

“It just felt like my day,” he said.

The feeling began when Triplett holed a 70-yard wedge for eagle on the par-5 15th. He picked up two birdies early in his front nine to gain momentum, and kept it by making a 10-foot par putt on the par-3 sixth.

Then, a good round suddenly turned into a great one.

He got up-and-down behind the par-5 seventh green for birdie. He pulled his tee shot some 30 yards left of the fairway on No. 8, but had enough of an opening to hit wedge into 6 feet. His confidence soaring, even the 45-foot birdie on No. 9 — down a swale and up a ridge toward the hole — looked like a good birdie chance.

“When things aren’t going your way, you bogey the par-3 and butcher the par-5,” Triplett said.

The players already are pampered beyond belief at the Wachovia Championship — Mercedes-Benz for courtesy cars, chartered plane trips for the wives, three private dining rooms, an immaculate golf course among the best on the PGA Tour. It got even better with weather conditions that were nothing short of ideal.

That showed on the leaderboard.

Twenty-eight players broke 70 at Quail Hollow, the result of relatively soft greens from rain last week and only moderate breezes on a hot afternoon.

“I don’t care what course you’re on, when you’ve got 85 degrees and hardly any wind, there’s going to be a lot of good scores,” Triplett said.

Singh was pleased with his score. Even though he gave away a shot at the end, the Fijian was quick to point out that he holed a 15-foot putt to save par on the previous hole.

As for a chance to win three in a row?

“I don’t expect anything,” Singh said. “I go out there and play my game. I’m not worried about three in a row, I’m worried about playing a solid tournament. If I win, that will be three. If I don’t, too bad.”

Woods wasn’t sure what to make of his round. He hit only four fairways no matter what club was in his hand, he had only two good birdie chances besides the par-5s, but he didn’t have a par putt longer than 4 feet.

He also got an enormous break.

From behind the trees on the 18th hole, he tried to bend a low stinger from left to right, but it headed for the stream that winds down the left side of the fairway. The ball splashed in, hit a rock and bounced out toward the green.

It kept him bogey-free, and it was only the second time in eight stroke-play tournaments this season that Woods broke 70. The other was at Bay Hill (67) and he wound up in a tie for 46th.

“It’s important to get off to a good start, because it’s hard to make up ground out here,” Woods said.

Weir made up ground quickly with his four straight birdies that put him at 5 under through seven holes. He gave it back by hitting into the water on the par-3 17th for double bogey, and hitting into the water on No. 18 for bogey.

Coming off a three-week break, Weir is still feeling refreshed enough that it didn’t bother him.

“When you’re grinding and playing a bunch of weeks in a row, you might not respond well,” he said. “I kept telling myself, ’Look, it’s only Thursday. Don’t let this thing get away from me.’ And I was able to do it.”

Divots: Two months after parting ways with Kenny Perry, caddie Fred Sanders has found another boss — Hank Kuehne. “I’m having to walk about 30 yards farther off the tee,” Sanders joked. Imagine the hike if Sanders had been working for Skip Kendall. ... Nick Price was 6 over through eight holes, but turned his game around. He got back to 1 over until making bogey on the final hole. ... Defending champion David Toms had a 75.

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