JL Lewis produced a dazzling 10-under-par 62 to grab a two-shot lead after the opening round of the $4.2 million Funai Classic at the Walt Disney Resort on Thursday.
Australians Mark Hensby and Scott Hend were in joint second place on 64 alongside John Huston. A further stroke adrift were Briny Baird, Spain's Jose Maria Olazabal and Stephen Ames of Canada.
World number one Vijay Singh of Fiji was among a group of nine players on 66.
The tournament is being played on two par-72 courses, the Magnolia and Palm.
Lewis, 44, twice a winner on the PGA Tour, made his intentions clear from the start. Beginning his round on the 10th hole at the Magnolia, he reeled off four successive birdies.
He dropped a shot at the 15th but hit back with another birdie at the 16th.
SPECTACULAR STRETCH
Lewis then crammed in six birdies in a spectacular eight-hole stretch coming home to be back in 30, six under.
"I shot 63 in the first round (of the Las Vegas Invitational) two weeks ago, 63 in the last round of the Texas Open (four weeks ago) and 63 at home one day, so I've been playing very well," Lewis told reporters.
"Nobody can explain golf, so I'm not going to try. I just try to hit each shot the best I can and get myself in a situation where hopefully I'll have a chance to do something good on Sunday."
Lewis needed only 25 putts on Thursday but believes he could have gone lower.
"Everybody in the tournament is capable of that, though, that's the thing," he said. "I don't think people realise really what they are capable of sometimes."
Huston also made a bright start at the Magnolia. He opened with a birdie at the first hole and a bogey at the second before rattling off six birdies in a row in an outward six-under 30.
The American bogeyed the par-five 10th and then carded three birdies over the final eight holes.
Hensby returned a six-under 30 as well, on the second nine at the Palm.
Hend went out in a five-under 31 on the back nine of the Magnolia before finishing with an eagle, two bogeys and three birdies on the front nine.
