Tiger Woods has claimed that he feels comfortable leading the Arnold Palmer Invitational as he looks to end his two-and-a-half year title drought.

Woods has not claimed a victory on the PGA Tour since September 2009 following allegations about his private life, but the former world number one insists that he is comfortable leading the way.

"It's not like it has been that long, you know. I had the lead at Abu Dhabi this year. So it really has not been as long as people might think it has been," said the 14-time major winner.

"I'm comfortable up there and I feel like I am playing well. We've still got a long way to go, there are 36 holes to go, I need to carry on doing what I'm doing out there, just kind of plodding my way along.

"I've had a few places where I've felt comfortable and I've played well, and this is one of them. Even though, the design has changed over the years a few times, the routing is still the same. But for some reason, I just feel comfortable on this golf course. For some reason, I just understand how to play it."

Woods currently leads the tournament by one shot ahead of Graeme McDowell.