Retired snow-skier Scott Simpson glided into a one-stroke lead after the first round of the $3.5 million Greater Greensboro Chrysler Classic on Thursday.
The 45-year-old compiled six birdies in a flawless six-under-par 66, while fellow Americans Jerry Kelly, Dudley Hart, Robert Damron, Spike McRoy, Shaun Micheel and Jeffrey Lankford, and Australian Aaron Baddeley all carded 67s.
Ireland's Richie Coughlan is two over par after finishing the day with a score of 74.
Defending champion Hal Sutton, the highest world-ranked player in a field sadly lacking star quality, shot a 70 on a day when the field averaged 71.7 strokes at Forest Oaks.
Simpson, the 1987 Greensboro champion - he also won the US Open that year - missed all of 2000 while recovering from a broken right ankle, an injury he incurred while skiing late in 1999.
But, in some ways, Simpson enjoyed his break from the tour. "When you are missing cuts, most of us think about how lousy it is to be travelling," he said.
"Obviously you don't want to be on crutches, but in some ways it was really good to have a year off. It helped my attitude more than anything. I got fired up to work again."
