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WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W.Va. - Fourth-year pro Scott Langley took advantage of favorable scoring conditions at the Old White TPC on Thursday to shoot an 8-under 62 and lead after the first round of the sixth Greenbrier Classic.
The 26-year-old Langley, who hails from the tiny town of Barrington, Ill., spread eight birdies over the round to hold a one-shot lead on Jonathan Byrd and Danny Lee under weather conditions that varied from sunshine and breezy to steady and hard rain.
"I felt great about my game the last two or three months, but haven't really produced anything," said Langley, whose native town is 32 miles northwest of Chicago. "But, I'm really excited. I've got a new outlook on the year just because the results weren't really there and kind of looked myself in the mirror and said, 'You know what, at the end of the day, no matter what happens, I need to be the most positive guy in the field week in and week out. That's been my goal the last couple weeks."
It worked out for Langley last week when he had his second-best finish of the year, tying for 25 at the Travelers.
One of the players he leads by one stroke is Byrd, who is friends with Langley, but has five victories on the PGA Tour.
His last victory, however, was in 2011 when he had a career-high in earnings of more than $2.9 million.
"We all kind of fed off each other," said Byrd, speaking of Langley and Michael Putnam. "(Langley) was hitting the ball well all day, he was driving it well, and he was kind of our leader starting on most holes, so he kind of set a good pace and I was able to make some putts and chipped in once. We just kind of stayed out of trouble today, which was nice."
There were 95 players shooting under par, with 11 players shooting 5-under or better.
Tiger Woods had his best round since 2013 when he shot a 4-under 66.
"Guys are all going to be somewhere up there," Woods said. "The golf course, the nature of this golf course right now, it's soft and the guys are going to go get it."
Langley has 77 tournaments under his belt in three years on the PGA Tour, earning $1.15 million in 2013. He has missed seven cuts in 21 starts this season, but recorded his best first-round score of the season.
Last week at the Travelers he had his second best, shooting a 65.
"My game feels great, my golf swing feels awesome, my putting feels good," Langley said. "The last thing on the list was where my attitude was at, where am I at mentally."
Lee continued a solid season on Tour with a 63, by far his best first round performance of the year.
The native of New Zealand had six birdies in his last eight holes, including two on the No. 15 and No. 18 par 3 holes.
Bubba Watson was among the 21 players who shot 3-under par, but said he thinks he is "fine."
"I haven't looked at the weather," Watson said. "Starting today, I knew the weather was going to be iffy for us this afternoon and then all day (Friday)."
The tournament continues with the second round today when the top 70 and ties make the cut.
Contact Assistant Sports Editor Rich Stevens at richstevens@dailymailwv.com or 304-348-4837. Follow him on Twitter @richdailymail