Lee Westwood and Greg Owen led a promising British charge in the first round of the USPGA at Baltusrol. The Englishmen carded 68s to trail the six leaders by one shot at two under par, with countrymen Ian Poulter and Luke Donald one stroke further back.
Another Englishman, Paul Casey, put a year of struggle behind him with a level-par round of 70.
"I felt I hit a bit of form on the range and mentally I'm feeling very strong," said Westwood.
The Worksop star fired nine straight pars in his front nine and dropped his first shot on the par-four 13th before finishing with three birdies inside his last four holes.
 |  There's a buzz every week, so I was calm at the start and calm at the finish |
"I was really looking forward to going out, having had three weeks off," said Westwood, who has gone back to old coach Pete Cowen after parting amicably with David Leadbetter.
"It wasn't that I wasn't enjoying working with David, it's just that he's based in Florida and I'm based in England."
The US-based Owen started at the 10th and shot three birdies to reach the turn in three under.
The 33-year-old, who was controversially denied a place in the Open last month, looked in great touch and was slightly unlucky to bogey the eighth, his 17th.
| Hot and steamy - I'm always happy playing in this heat |
"I really enjoy it over here," said Owen, who has had a third and a fourth on the US Tour this year.
"The heat's a lot easier on my back for one thing and the atmosphere is fantastic.
"There's a buzz every week, so I was calm at the start and calm at the finish today.
"I am playing really well and I have just got to keep believing in myself."
Poulter was two over at the turn but birdied four of the last five holes to get within two shots of the clubhouse lead with a 69.
"Hot and steamy - I'm always happy playing in this heat," he said when asked about the conditions.
"I'm not saying the course is easy, but if you put it in play it's playable."
Donald, who was third at the Masters on his debut in April, climbed to three under through 12 holes.
But he then bogeyed three straight holes from the fourth to return to level par before a birdie at the seventh, his 16th, got him back in red numbers.
Casey will go into Friday's second round in good spirits after a birdie at the last got him back to level par for his round.
England's Steve Webster and Northern Ireland's Graeme McDowell were not disgraced with rounds of 72 over the "Beast of Baltusrol".
MMIX
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