J B Holmes began the WGC-Cadillac Championship with a remarkable ten under par 62 to race into a sizeable four shot lead after the opening round in Florida.
The former American Ryder Cup star, a three-time US PGA Tour winner, birdied his first two holes on Trump National Doral's Blue Monster and then followed a 376-yard drive with an approach to tap-in range at the 12th for an eagle.
Six further gains followed for the 32 year old, who is already six shots better off than last year's winner Patrick Reed was after 72 holes 12 months ago.
"I hit a lot of good shots today, and pretty much on every hole I put the ball below the hole where I had a chance to make a putt," said Holmes, who underwent brain surgery in 2011.
"It's tough to make some putts, and if you can get below the hole, you have a better chance. Even if it's 25 feet, you have a better chance of making that than a ten or 15 footer downhill.
"I was able to hit the shots where I envisioned and hit good shots, and today the putter was on - put that combination together, you do everything pretty good, and you’re going to shoot a good score.
"It's just a tough golf course, so if I go out and shoot even or one under tomorrow, that would be a good round. It's hard to back these days up, so I'll just try to go out there with no expectations tomorrow and play."
Holmes' compatriot Moore had initially kept up with the blistering pace as he birdied eight of his first 12 holes, but a double bogey at the notoriously testing 18th after driving into water down the left saw him sign for a six under 66.
France's Alex Levy led the European challenge as a 68 saw him join Dustin Johnson and Rickie Fowler in a tie for third on four under.
Levy, making his tournament debut, birdied the long first and went one better with an eagle on the par five eighth.
Birdies at the 11th and 12th then took the two-time European Tour winner to five under, but he bogeyed the 14th and 15th before carding one of only three birdies at the last.
"It was a very good round," said Levy. "In very tough conditions I played really good golf. I hit some good shots in good positions; that was the key today."
Former Race to Dubai winner Henrik Stenson birdied three of his first four holes, all from inside six feet, as the Swede carded a three under 69 to sit alongside America's Brooks Koepka.
Stenson said: "I see it as a great test leading into Augusta. It's definitely going to give you an indication of where you're at with your game, because you've got to play well to get a score out there, and then mentally to keep your patience and focus and never give up."
Last season's Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year Koepka made four birdies, including an unlikely chip-in from an island of rough in a bunker at the 14th.
He said: "It's hard. You kind of have to go into it with a US Open mentality, knowing that guys are going to struggle and you're going to struggle, so you just have to try to minimize the damage and make bogeys at worst."
American Patrick Reed opened the defence of his title with a round of 71 – the same score as England’s Lee Westwood, who was making his 50th start in a World Golf Championship event.
Rory McIlroy bogeyed the last to sign for a round of 73, though having turned in 40, the World Number One will have been heartened by his powers of recovery.
