Boo Weekley had an eagle and seven birdies for an eight-under 64 and a share of the first-round lead with Brendon de Jonge on Thursday in the Zurich Classic of New Orleans.
De Jonge, from Zimbabwe, had eight birdies at rain-softened TPC Louisiana.
Sean O'Hair and Canada's David Hearn shot seven-under 65s on the Pete Dye-designed layout.
"I felt like if the putts would have fallen that I hit, I felt like it could have been a 59 easy," Weekley said after posting his lowest score in more than two years.
"I felt like I should have easily shot 8-under on the front side."
Four of the top six players, including de Jonge, are winless on the PGA Tour.
"I left a couple of shots on the par fives but made it up on the par fours," said de Jonge, who added he has never played well at TPC New Orleans.
"The course was there for the taking. You've obviously got to hit the fairways, but the tour let us play (lift, clean and place), so that was the key out there today."
Tour rookie Mark Hubbard had five consecutive birdies in the middle of his round and finished with a 66. He was tied with Erik Compton, Brian Davis, Greg Owen and Daniel Berger.
Dustin Johnson, ranked No.7 in the world, was at five-under 67 in a large group that included former Zurich winner KJ Choi and Australia's Jason Day, the highest ranked player in the field at No. 6.
"Hopefully, the weather (Friday) will be good," Day said after a round in which he hit two balls in the water on the par-three third for a double-bogey five and followed with a bogey on the fourth hole.
"It will be good to see the course dry out, and obviously when the weather comes in it's no fun for anyone."
Players were able to lift, clean and place their golf balls in the fairways in anticipation of afternoon rain, which eventually developed and halted play for 1 hour, 20 minutes.
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