World Number Three Lee Westwood made himself right at home on his first trip to Memphis as he posted a course record 63 at TPC Southwind to lead the St Jude Classic as the first round was suspended for the day due to bad weather.
The Englishman's seven under par opening round at the par 70 course gave him a one stroke clubhouse lead over the field in Tennessee with 20 golfers yet to complete their round.
All the best scores on the day came in the morning with Memphis native Casey Wittenberg home in six under and Ireland's Padraig Harrington third following a 65.
That left three time major winner Harrington a shot clear of an eight man group in the clubhouse at four under par.
England's Ian Poulter, the World Number Five, had led the way for the late wave alongside American Lee Janzen and Stephen Ames of Canada at three under after ten holes, but with the temperature tipping 38 degrees and conditions extremely humid, no one could make it to the top of the leaderboard.
Poulter endured a poor finish with five bogeys in his last seven holes to card a two over 72.
Westwood hit the ground running in Memphis as he went bogey free with five birdies and an eagle, going out in 29 for his opening nine holes, starting from the tenth tee and including his three at the par five 16th.
Westwood added his fifth and final birdie of the round before carding pars all the way home.
The only blemish, he felt, was a missing short birdie putt at the ninth, his last.
"Twenty-nine, that was a pretty good start," Westwood said.
"And 63 is always a good start. I couldn't be disappointed with that.
"It could have been better, but I'm not going to cry too much from missing from four feet on the last."
Westwood said he has not easily been fazed by the thought of playing new courses and he had had good experiences in those situations, not least at last November's Dubai World Championship where victory on the just-opened Earth Course made him The European Tour Number One as he topped the inaugural Race To Dubai rankings.
"It's been a long time since I played a course for the first time," he said.
"I just played the Honda for the first time this year. I finished in the Top-10. That was pretty good.
"Last year we all played the course at Dubai for the first time there. I was 23 under.
"I adjust fairly well, I think. You can play most courses if you hit it straight and close."
Harrington was just as pleased with his bogey free opening 65, which came two weeks after undergoing minor surgery to repair torn knee cartilage and a month after missing the cut at The Players Championship in his last outing in the USA.
"I'm happy, yes," Harrington said. "I suppose it's always there, beware of the injured golfer.
"Expectations aren't quite as bold when you're out there. I thought it was nice to play well and did the right things at the right time."
