Thorbjørn Olesen will take a share of the lead into the second round of the US PGA Championship after making his best start to a Major at Quail Hollow Club.
The Dane fired an excellent 67 to get to four under and lead the way alongside home favourite Kevin Kisner, with Brooks Koepka, Grayson Murray, Gary Woodland, Chris Stroud and DA Points a shot behind.
Olesen claimed his fourth top ten of the season at last week's WGC-Bridgestone Invitational and brought that form to Charlotte as he looks to do better than the two Major Championship top tens he achieved at the 2012 Open Championship and 2013 Masters Tournament.
"I've had a couple of top tens in Majors," he said. "I've had some good rounds in Majors and I feel like I've learned a lot over the years playing quite a few Majors now. I feel like I'm better prepared to be in contention over the weekend and have a chance to win.
"I feel more confident with myself and my game than I probably did a few years ago so obviously a lot of things can happen. I just have to stay relaxed the next few days, still trying to keep the ball in the fairway and then I know I can hit it close and make some birdies.
Olesen claimed his fourth top ten of the season at last week's WGC-Bridgestone Invitational and brought that form to Charlotte as he looks to do better than the two Major Championship top tens he achieved at the 2012 Open Championship and 2013 Masters Tournament.
"I've had a couple of top tens in Majors," he said. "I've had some good rounds in Majors and I feel like I've learned a lot over the years playing quite a few Majors now. I feel like I'm better prepared to be in contention over the weekend and have a chance to win.
"I feel more confident with myself and my game than I probably did a few years ago so obviously a lot of things can happen. I just have to stay relaxed the next few days, still trying to keep the ball in the fairway and then I know I can hit it close and make some birdies.
"I felt good. Especially the first 15 holes, I felt like I was playing really, really well. I hit my driver well and got myself in some really good positions. So that was the key and obviously it was a really nice way to finish with that long putt on 18."
The 27 year old put an approach to seven feet to birdie the second and while he dropped a shot on the sixth, back-to-back gains on the seventh and eighth saw him turn in 33.
A 12-foot putt on the 14th had him in a share of the lead and when he played an excellent up-and-down over a bunker on the par five 15th, he had top spot to himself.
A chip over the green after missing the putting surface on the par three 17th led to a bogey but an excellent turning 28-footer on the last handed him the lead once more.
The 27 year old put an approach to seven feet to birdie the second and while he dropped a shot on the sixth, back-to-back gains on the seventh and eighth saw him turn in 33.
A 12-foot putt on the 14th had him in a share of the lead and when he played an excellent up-and-down over a bunker on the par five 15th, he had top spot to himself.
A chip over the green after missing the putting surface on the par three 17th led to a bogey but an excellent turning 28-footer on the last handed him the lead once more.
Kisner bogeyed the fifth but a hat-trick of gains from the sixth moved him up the leaderboard. He dropped a shot on the 13th but made further birdies on the 14th, 15th and last.
"I felt confident," he said. "I was hitting the driver nice starting out. There's about four or five holes that I have to birdie to compete and I birdied them all today so that's kind of been my game plan. Other than that, I'm playing for par."
US Open champion Koepka turned in level par from the tenth but ignited his round when he chipped in on the third and went on to make a further three birdies and a bogey.
Murray turned in 36 with two bogeys and a birdie but gains on the tenth, 13th, 15th and 17th moved him up the leaderboard, while Woodland had been out in front after birdieing the second, sixth, seventh and 15th before dropping a shot on the 16th.
Stroud turned in level par but birdied the tenth, 11th and last in a bogey-free effort while Points had five birdies and two bogeys in his round.
"I felt confident," he said. "I was hitting the driver nice starting out. There's about four or five holes that I have to birdie to compete and I birdied them all today so that's kind of been my game plan. Other than that, I'm playing for par."
US Open champion Koepka turned in level par from the tenth but ignited his round when he chipped in on the third and went on to make a further three birdies and a bogey.
Murray turned in 36 with two bogeys and a birdie but gains on the tenth, 13th, 15th and 17th moved him up the leaderboard, while Woodland had been out in front after birdieing the second, sixth, seventh and 15th before dropping a shot on the 16th.
Stroud turned in level par but birdied the tenth, 11th and last in a bogey-free effort while Points had five birdies and two bogeys in his round.
European Tour Member Patrick Reed was then in the group at two under alongside fellow Americans Bud Cauley, Rickie Fowler, Tony Finau, Brian Harman, Jim Herman, and England's Paul Casey.
Reed started on the tenth and was one over at the turn after a double-bogey on the 17th but birdied the third, sixth and seventh.
Race to Dubai Rankings presented by Rolex leader Tommy Fleetwood was in a group at one under that also included Spaniard Jon Rahm, England's Jordan Smith, last week's winner Hideki Matsuyama, World Number One Dustin Johnson, 2015 champion Jason Day and 2010 Open champion Louis Oosthuizen.
Dutchman Joost Luiten recorded the 26th hole-in-one of the season when his tee-shot on the par three fourth took one hop before hitting the pin and going in the hole.
Reed started on the tenth and was one over at the turn after a double-bogey on the 17th but birdied the third, sixth and seventh.
Race to Dubai Rankings presented by Rolex leader Tommy Fleetwood was in a group at one under that also included Spaniard Jon Rahm, England's Jordan Smith, last week's winner Hideki Matsuyama, World Number One Dustin Johnson, 2015 champion Jason Day and 2010 Open champion Louis Oosthuizen.
Dutchman Joost Luiten recorded the 26th hole-in-one of the season when his tee-shot on the par three fourth took one hop before hitting the pin and going in the hole.
