There was a Rory setting the early pace at the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational in Akron, but it was South African Rory Sabbatini rather than Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy.
While the 22 year old US Open Champion waited to start his first event in America since becoming a Major Champion, Sabbatini birdied the first three holes.
Joint runner-up to Tiger Woods in the event four years ago, he pitched close on the first and third and in between made a nine footer on the long second.
Sabbatini led by a stroke from American Mark Wilson and Swede Alex Noren, who kicked off his second appearance in the tournament with a 30 foot putt at the tenth and then a 119 yard approach to two feet on the next.
Woods was among the later starters in what will be his first event since mid-May because of knee and Achilles tendon injuries. He was paired with new Open Champion Darren Clarke.
Sabbatini made it four in a row even though he drove into the rough on the 471 yard fourth, but then cooled down with two pars and found himself only one ahead again with Americans Jonathan Byrd and DA Points quickly reaching three under.
A 145 yard iron to five feet gave World Number One Luke Donald an opening birdie on the tenth, while second-ranked Lee Westwood birdied the 11th and last year's US Open winner Graeme McDowell picked up shots on both the 11th and short 12th.
McIlroy would love to have started like Sabbatini. Instead he three-putted the 180 yard 12th and then bogeyed the next to be two over and already seven adrift of new leader Points, who birdied five of the first seven.
Winner of his first US PGA Tour title at Pebble Beach in February, Points led by two with Sabbatini failing to get up and down from sand on the short seventh.
Donald remained one under after six, McDowell was alongside him after bogeying the 14th and Westwood three-putted the 13th to return to level par.
