Woods, making his first start since a relatively disappointing Masters, stormed home with six birdies on his inward half on a pleasant spring morning at Quail Hollow.
He posted a bogey-free seven-under-par 65, three strokes ahead of fellow Americans Jeff Maggert, Hunter Mahan and Lucas Glover and South African Retief Goosen with nearly half the field back in the clubhouse.
"I hit a couple of loose shots here and there but I putted really well," said Woods, who finished in style with lengthy birdies at his final three holes.
"I had a couple of key saves that kept the round going (and) it's always nice when you birdie the last three. I putted the same as at Augusta but this time they went in instead of lipping out."
Woods finished equal sixth at the Masters after bogeying the final two holes.
He won at Quail Hollow in 2007 before missing the event last year due to a knee injury.
