R1 LEADERBOARD US unless stated -5 V Taylor -4 P Stankowski, D Toms -3 S Cink, H Miyase (Jap), LW Zhang (Chi)

The 28-year-old Augusta native edged clear of defending champion David Toms and Paul Stankowski.

Stewart Cink was in fourth place on 68 with China's Zhang Lian-wei and Japan's Hirofumi Miyase.

American pair Brent Geiberger and Patrick Sheehan were tied for seventh, a further stroke behind.

Starting on the back nine in blustery conditions at TPC Southwind, Taylor reached the turn on two-under, then birdied four of the next eight holes.

But he slipped back with a bogey on the ninth, his final hole, after hitting his drive through the fairway and into the water.

The weak field contained only three of the top 25 in the world rankings - Sweden's Fredrik Jacobson (ranked 22nd), Toms (16th) and Cink (23rd).