Saturday 6 May 2017 01:28, UK
Francesco Molinari fired a round-of-the-day 66 to grab the early advantage at the Wells Fargo Championship.
Molinari recovered from an early blemish to post eight birdies in an impressive display at Eagle Point Golf Club, chipping in at the last to get to six under.
Grayson Murray briefly leapfrogged the Italian until he bogeyed the final two holes to post a five-under 67, joining Brian Campbell, JB Holmes and Sweden's Alex Noren in a four-way tie for second.
Ireland's Seamus Power sits a further shot back on four under, with world No 1 Dustin Johnson four off the pace following an opening-round 70 on his return to injury.
Out as one of the early starters in North Carolina, Molinari missed an eight-footer to save par at the second but birdied his next two holes and holed-out for another from the rough at the par-three fifth.
Molinari holed a 15-footer at the seventh and drained a birdie putt from even further out at the ninth to reach the turn in 32, before kicking off his back nine with another gain.
A stray approach in to the water and a dropped shot at the 12th was cancelled out with a birdie-two at the 15th, with Molinari closing his round with a 20-foot gain from off the final green.
Holmes birdied five of his final seven holes to surge up in to the tie for second, with Noren posting three gains in a blemish-free back nine.
Campbell briefly pulled in to a share of the lead after following four consecutive birdies around the turn with further gains at the fifth and seventh, only for him to join Murray and Power in bogeying the ninth - their final hole.
Spanish pair Rafa Cabrera Bello and Jon Rahm both sit inside the top 10 following opening-round 69s, while Johnson is joined on two under by Patrick Reed and Ryder Cup-winning captain Davis Love III.
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