US TOUR:PAUL GOYDOS birdied three of the last four holes to charge into a tie for the early lead in the opening round of the Travelers Championship in Cromwell, Connecticut.

Double PGA Tour winner Goydos recovered from shaky pars on his first two holes to fire a flawless, seven-under 63 at the rain-softened TPC River Highlands, setting the pace with compatriot Charles Warren.

Australian Greg Chalmers mixed eight birdies with two bogeys on the way to a 64, finishing level with Americans Tag Ridings and Spencer Levin.

Long-hitting rookie Ricky Barnes, three days after tying for second at the weather-delayed US Open at Bethpage Black, opened with a bogey-free 65.

Spanish world number four Sergio Garcia, the highest-ranked player in the field, returned a 67.

Goydos, whose most recent Tour victory came at the 2007 Sony Open in Hawaii, made the most of the conditions.

“I shot seven under and it’s probably as low as that round possibly could have been,” the 45-year-old said after covering the back nine in four-under 31. “If it gets off to a bad start I could have easily shot over par today, so I’m feeling quite fortunate.

“You’ve just hit two of the worst holes of the year and you’re at even par. In a sense those things tend to calm you down.

“I just kind of kept rolling along, making birdie here and there and I birdied 15, 16 and 17.

“Generally this isn’t a golf course where you need to make a lot of birdies,” added Goydos, who has posted two top-four finishes in his last three starts.

“But there was an absence of wind this morning and, with the soft conditions, it makes for good scoring.”