TORONTO, Aug 26: Former British Open winner Ben Curtis and fellow American JL Lewis shot six-under-par 64s to share the lead after the first round of the $4.3 million championship in Cromwell, Connecticut on Thursday.

Without a trophy since his shock victory at Royal St George’s two years ago, Curtis made a perfect start with back-to-back birdies at the TPC at River Highlands and never carded a bogey all day.

Lewis, also without a win since 2003, matched Curtis’s error-free round.

One stroke off the lead on five-under 65 were Briton Justin Rose and Americans Kevin Sutherland, Vaughn Taylor, Franklin Langham and Michael Putnam, who was making his professional debut.

Japan’s Hidemichi Tanaka was in equal eighth spot on 66 alongside Corey Pavin, Chris Smith and Joe Durant.

Playing on a sponsor’s exemption, Putnam spent a good part of the day perched atop the leaderboard after mixing six birdies with a single bogey.

The 22-year-old Putnam said his bogey five at the fourth hole settled his nerves.

Woody Austin, who ended a nine-year victory drought with his playoff win over Tim Herron 12 months ago, opened the defence of his title with a one-under 69.

First round scores

64 - Ben Curtis, J.L. Lewis

65 - Kevin Sutherland, Justin Rose, Michael Putnam, Franklin Langham, Vaughn Taylor

66 - Hidemichi Tanaka, Corey Pavin, Chris Smith, Joe Durant

67 - John Huston, Tim Petrovic, Jason Bohn, Bo Van Pelt, Dean Wilson, Tom Byrum, Dudley Hart, Dan Forsman, J.J. Henry, Tom Gillis, D.A. Points, Mario Tiziani

68 - Robert Allenby, Peter Lonard, Aaron Baddeley (AUS), Gavin Coles, Tjaart van der Walt

69 - Paul Gow, Brenden Pappas, Lee Westwood

70 - Steve Allan, John Senden, Tim Clark, Kevin Na, Craig Perks, Darren Clarke

71 - David Frost, Brian Davis, Michael Long

72 - Daniel Chopra, Euan Walters, David Hearn, Steve Elkington, Carl Pettersson

73 - Jose Coceres, Mathias Gronberg, Phillip Price, Hideto Tanihara, Charlie Wi

75 - Bradley Hughes, Brendan Jones

76 - Ryuji Imada, Glen Hnatiuk

77 - Scott Hend.

THREE SHARE LEAD