Europeans Joost Luiten and Edoardo Molinari were prominent on the leaderboard as the first round of the US PGA Championship began at Valhalla.
Dutchman Luiten, a three-time European Tour winner, birdied the first but then bogeyed the third and fourth to drop over par early on in Kentucky.
But three gains in four holes from the sixth and another birdie on the 13th took the 28 year old to three under par with three to play – just one behind leader Kevin Chappell.
American Chappell had four unanswered birdies over his opening 12 holes, but Luiten was just one of six players queueing up a shot behind the leader.
Italian Molinari had consecutive gains from the seventh to be three under after eight, and was joined by Sweden’s Freddie Jacobson and American trio Rickie Fowler, Kevin Stadler and Brendon Todd.
Fowler was looking to continue his remarkable record in Major Championships during 2014, having finished in the top five at the year’s first three premier events.
Ryder Cup team-mates Ian Poulter and Lee Westwood, Finland’s Mikko Ilonen and four-time Challenge Tour winner Brooks Koepka were amongst those on two under par, with US Senior PGA Champion and eight-time European Number One Colin Montgomerie on level par.
