BLISTERING form was maintained by York-born golfer Simon Dyson as the European Tour moved from Surrey to Sweden.

After his joint fifth place in the BMW PGA Championship - a finish which propelled him 40 places up the world rankings - Dyson was smack back in the groove in the Nordea Masters.

He carded a healthy opening round 69 on the first day at the PGA Sweden National course in Malmo, which he initially threatened to cane.

The newly-established world number 147 began his round on the tenth, instantly pocketing a birdie and then poaching an eagle on the par-five, 552-yards 11th hole.

Another birdie on the 15th ensured he finished the first nine holes at four-under-par, which had him sharing second place.

However, the second half of his round, holes one to nine, failed to prove as profitable with eight pars marred by his only dropped shot of the day.

The 36-year-old Malton & Norton GC ace was among several players grouped in 13th place, with the lead shared by Swedish rookie Jens Dantorp, playing on his home course, and England’s Eddie Pepperell. Both had sixunder- par 66s.

Meanwhile, Tiger Woods remains optimistic about his future despite ruling himself out of next month’s US Open in order to continue his rehabilitation from back surgery.

The 38-year-old world number three had previously admitted his recovery from his March 31 operation was ‘’slow and tedious’’ and saying he was still unable to hit full shots, effectively ruling out his appearance at Pinehurst GC.

Woods said on his website: “Unfortunately, I won’t be there because I’m not yet physically able to play competitive golf.”

Woods, who underwent microdiscectomy surgery for a pinched nerve in his back eight weeks ago, has not competed since the final round of the WGC-Cadillac Championship on March 9.