Players took advantage of prime scoring conditions yesterday in the first round of the Nike Golf PGA Team Championship of Canada.

Favourites Billy Walsh and Danny King, and the surprising tandem of Conrad Riley and Thomas Keddy, put together fourball rounds of ten-under-par 61 at Mid Ocean Club, to open up a three-shot lead after the first day of competition.

Four other teams are tied in third place, with Adam Blair and Mark Kohlen, Dave Levesque and Marc-Etienne Bussieres, Billy Houle and Francis Tanguay, and Max Gilbert and Jean-Pierre Morin all posting opening rounds of seven-under.

“This was just perfect weather for scoring today, no wind to speak of really and lots of sun is a solid recipe for going low,” King said.

Walsh, the PGA of Canada’s top-ranked player, admitted it was a nice feeling having a partner this week.

“This is actually the first time Danny and I have been partners,” he said. “And it’s an awesome feeling being able to count and root for him all day long.”

Several of the golfers this week are no strangers to Bermuda, with the likes of Kier Smith and Brian McCann travelling to the Island regularly to play in the Bermuda Open, Gosling’s Invitational and Goodwill Tournament.

Smith and team-mate Gordon Burns are sitting in a three-way tie for eighth at six-under, while McCann and Matt Peavoy are a shot further back in a group of five teams tied for eleventh.

In all, only five shots separate the top 15 teams, with foursomes and scramble still to come.