American Ryder Cup star Steve Stricker became the 23rd player to shoot a round of 63 in a Major to lead the US PGA Championship.
Stricker's seven birdies included the 15th and 18th- two of the three that Tiger Woods double-bogeyed en route to a 77.
He was already seven under after 14 holes, but parred his way in from there, missing a 12-foot chance on the 426 yard ninth.
Instead of becoming the first to shoot 62 in Majors therefore, he joined a list of 22 other players to have 63. Greg Norman and Vijay Singh have done it twice.
Stricker led by two from Jerry Kelly, who still had two holes to play and on the putt to break the record the 44 year old, yet to win a Major, said: "Sometimes when you know it's for something extra special you dig a little deeper, but I can't complain.
"Just to hit it on the fairways was my goal. It's a very difficult course from the bunkers and rough."
The leading European at that stage was the youngest of them all – 18 year old Italian Matteo Manassero marked his debut in the event with a 68.
“I played good golf, solid, didn't miss much,” he said.
“So you know, I've done pretty much everything to enjoy, really, the round.
“It is getting firmer, firmer and firmer. The greens are really tough to hole sometimes from some positions, so you have to play smart. You have to play away from a couple of flags sometimes.”
World Number One Luke Donald also double bogeyed the 15th, but handed in a level par 70, while fellow Englishman Brian Davis shot 69.
Phil Mickelson had a 71, recovering well from the shock of three-putting from only three feet on his opening green.
Ross Fisher dropped from four under to one over on his return to action after missing last week's event as a result of his baby son Harry being taken into hospital during the Irish Open.
Rory McIlroy, Lee Westwood and Darren Clarke were all among the later starters.
Stricker's position looked unreachable for the late starters, although 2003 winner Shaun Micheel and former Masters Tournament champion Trevor Immelman reached three under after 11 and eight holes respectively.
Westwood was two over after bogeys at the seventh and eighth and Clarke three over after closing the front nine with back-to-back bogeys as the injury drama of playing partner Rory McIlroy - out in level par - was going on.
Their fellow Ulsterman Graeme McDowell birdied the sixth and seventh to be alongside McIlroy.
McIlroy had even more bandaging applied before starting the back nine, then spoke to a physio again after a bad drive into the trees on the tenth.
Again he decided to carry on and after chipping out onto the 18th fairway hit his third over the tall pines to 15 feet and made the par putt.
He drove badly on the long 12th as well, this time left, but was on in three and holed from 15 feet for birdie and remarkably went to one under and joint 18th.
His management company, meanwhile, were making arrangements for him to have a scan at a local hospital after he finished.
