Boo Weekley grabbed a one-shot lead Thursday after the opening round of the six million-dollar St. Jude Championship, last tuneup event before the US Open.
Weekley fired a five-under-par 65 at TPC Southwind, nabbing six birdies with just one bogey.
"I drove the ball well today for a change and my irons were superb," Weekley said. "I hit my irons real good, and then my putting, my putting was excellent today."
Tommy Armour was alone in second on 66, with Fiji's Vijay Singh a further shot back on 67.
A group of seven players were tied for fourth on two-under, including Davis Love, Spain's Sergio Garcia, Justin Leonard and Aussie Stuart Appleby.
Defending champion Woody Austin stumbled out of the gate with a one-over 71. He had two birdies and a double-bogey on the par-three 14th, the dropped another shot at 17.
The tournament is the last US PGA Tour stop before the US Open at Torrey Pines in San Diego.
Many of the top Open contenders are taking the week off, but for some in Memphis it's a chance to hone their games prior to the second major championship of the year.
Armour started at the 10th tee and picked up two birdies in his first nine holes.
He added three more coming in, but a bogey at the par-three eighth dropped him a shot off the lead.
"I was happy," Armour said. "The rough isn't real deep. So, I mean, if you get blown off in the rough, it's not penal like next week would be. You've got to hit the shots because the greens are firm, and the greens are perfect. The course is in great shape."
Weekley opened with back-to-back birdies but a bogey at the fourth saw him one-under at the turn.
He birdied 10 and 12, then added two more birdies in his last three holes.
"I picked a good line there and made it," Weekley said of his closing birdie. "Pretty good putting today."
