Steven Bowditch fired an opening round of seven-under-par to be one shot off the lead in the US PGA Tour's John Deere Classic.
The Australian sits behind the leading group of Americans Zach Johnson and Brian Harman and South Africa's Rory Sabbatini in the $US4.7 million ($A5 million) tournament.
Sabbatini and Johnson enjoyed bogey-free rounds, while Harman suffered one bogey, as all three finished 18 holes one stroke in front Bowditch and Americans William McGirt and Todd Hamilton on Thursday.
Johnson, ranked 16th and set for next week's British Open at Hoylake, began on the back nine and birdied six of his first eight holes and eight of his first 11 in the lowest round of his 12 appearances at the event, only a 90-minute drive from his hometown.
A 19-foot birdie putt at the par-3 12th was the longest that Johnson needed in the round thanks to sharp iron play and solid work off the tee on a course where he won in 2012 and lost in a playoff last year to then-teen Jordan Spieth.
Johnson enjoyed seven top-10 showings after his runner-up effort last year, including a win in the US PGA playoffs at the BMW Championship.
"I have found myself a little impatient in the weeks prior to this," Johnson said.
"In the US Open, I made the cut, but it was pretty boring, bad golf after that. I was a little spent."
Sabbatini produced three birdies in a row on the front and back nines in his round, sinking a 17-foot birdie putt at the third and a 22-foot birdie putt at the fourth to finish his first such streak.
He sank another 17-footer at the par-3 seventh and another 22-footer for birdie at 12, then ran off three more in a row from the 15th to the par-5 17th to grab his share of the lead.
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