South Africa's Charl Schwartzel piled up 10 birdies in a 7-under-par 65 to seize the first-round lead at the US PGA Tour's Memorial in Dublin, Ohio, where defending champ Tiger Woods was six shots adrift.
Former Masters champion Schwartzel bounced back from a double-bogey at his penultimate hole to birdie his last, taking a one-stroke lead over American Scott Piercy.
World number one Woods, seeking a sixth Memorial title, played in the afternoon when birdies were harder to come by.
He had five birdies and four bogeys in a 1-under 71, but ended his day on a down note with a bogey that left him tied for 27th place.
Chinese teen Guan Tianlang just missed out on joining the group at 1-under. The 14-year-old amateur sensation was 2-under through nine holes and 1-under after a bogey at 16, but closed with a bogey to lie tied for 41st on even par.
Schwartzel holds a one-stroke lead over American Scott Piercy, whose eight birdies included a run of five in a row starting at the par-three fourth hole.
Piercy was one stroke in front of a group of four players on 67: South Korean Charlie Wi and Americans Josh Teater, Russell Henley and Kyle Stanley.
Americans Bill Haas and Matt Kuchar shared seventh place on 68, with Australian Matt Jones, Sweden's Robert Karlsson, Michael Thompson and Chris Stroud on 69.
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