Kevin Streelman, inspired by his beloved Chicago Cubs, fired a sizzling nine-under-par 63 to lead the US PGA Tour's Sanderson Farms Championship by two strokes in Jackson, Mississippi on Thursday.
Taking advantage of ideal conditions on a steamy day of low scoring at the Country Club of Jackson, Streelman mixed 10 birdies with a lone bogey to soar to the top of the leaderboard after the opening round.
Swede Carl Pettersson holed out from 162 yards to eagle the par-four 16th en route to a 65 and a tie for second with American Trey Mullinax and Ireland's Seamus Power, while 2009 US Open champion Lucas Glover was one of seven players on 66.
Australians Rod Pampling and Cameron Smith are a shot further back at five-under 67.
For Streelman, it was a day when "everything just kind of clicked" as he launched his bid for a third PGA Tour victory in impressive fashion.
"It was just a ton of fun for me, it's what we do this for," Streelman, 37, told Golf Channel after sinking an eight-foot birdie putt on his final hole, the par-four ninth.
"There are certain days when things click. I think we all have them.
"I got the club in front of me and I was just up and around the flagsticks all day."
The Illinois native was given a timely jolt of motivation for this week's tournament by his beloved Cubs, who squared Major League Baseball's World Series at 1-1 with a 5-1 game-two win over the Cleveland Indians on Wednesday.
"I'll be watching the Cubbies this weekend," Streelman said of games three, four and five, all to be played in Chicago.
"They inspired me last night. Jake (Arrieta) pitched awesome and they (Cubs fans) are pretty stoked up in Chicago right now."
