Smith returns to form

Chris Smith fired a bogey-free six-under-par 64 to take a two-shot lead after the first round of the St Jude Classic in Memphis.

Smith, among the first players to tee off at the TPC at Southwind, had four birdies on the front nine, including the last three holes.

He added two more coming in and was finished shortly after noon ocal time, spending most of the day watching the rest of the field come up short.

He has not played well this year and in eight starts, he has missed the cut five times – with a best finish of a tie for 42nd at last month’s BellSouth Classic.

“It’s nice to be here after one day, so I’m certainly not going to go back to my hotel and start figuring out what I’m going to hit on 18 on Sunday,” Smith said.

“I felt like if I just get a couple rounds where everything started clicking together and working, I was playing well, and I kind of felt like that all year.”

But he has won just once in 263 career starts since turning pro in 1991, claiming the 2002 Buick Classic.

DA Points, alone in second at four under, is another player who has struggled this season in missing eight of 12 cuts, including three in a row.

But he found some rhythm here after starting on the 10th, he had five birdies and a bogey before playing his final nine holes in par.

Tom Pernice Jr and Paul Azinger are tied for third at 67, one stroke ahead of Nick Price, Fred Funk, Steve Stricker, Paul Stankowski, Zach Johnson, Mark Calcavecchia and Daisuke Maruyama.

David Toms, who has won twice and finished second and fourth in his last four starts here, carded a 69 but defending champion Justin Leonard struggled to a two-over 72.

Tim Herron, who snapped a seven-year victory drought with a win at the Colonial last week, managed a level-par 70.