Canada's Mike Weir set a course record on Friday by firing a 10-under par 61 to seize a three-stroke lead after the first round of the seven million-dollar US PGA Deutsche Bank Championship.

The southpaw opened his round with four birdies in a row, added birdies at the sixth and seventh to continue his sizzling start, then made birdies to open and close his back nine with two more at 13th and 15th as well.

Weir has not won a tournament all season but the 2003 Masters champion began his charge with a bogey-free round to seize a three-stroke edge on Fiji's Vijay Singh and Americans John Merrick, Briny Baird and Heath Slocum.

Americans Ben Curtis and Eric Axley were on 65 with 11 others on 66 including South Africans Ernie Els and Tim Clark and South Korean Charlie Wi.

Singh defeated Spain's Sergio Garcia last Sunday in a playoff to win the Barclays, the first of four events in the FedEx Cup US PGA Tour playoff series, and grab a 5,125-point lead in the race for the playoff crown.

The top 144 players who made last week's field were trimmed to the top 120 this week with only 70 advancing from this event to next week's tournament in St. Louis.

Singh, 45, began on the back nine and made five birdies in six holes starting at the par-5 second to make his run up the leaderboard. Every birdie effort from Singh came from seven feet or less.

"I have a great attitude on the greens," Singh said. "I just listen to my head and my head is very positive. I think that's the best attitude you can have, just listen to your own mind."

Baird made seven birdies in a bogey-free round, including three in a row ending at the 17th hole, while Merrick eagled the 18th after birdies on four of his first seven holes.

Defending champion Phil Mickelson fired a 69 while Garcia opened on 67.

AFP