Rayhan Thomas made a steady start at the Colonial Life Charity Classic, carding a 2-under 68 to sit tied-35th after the opening round at Woodcreek Club.
The Indian golfer endured an up-and-down day but recovered well after a shaky stretch on the back nine. Starting from the 10th, Thomas picked up an early birdie before back-to-back bogeys on the 16th and 17th saw him turn in 1-over par.
He responded strongly on his second nine, making birdies on the first, third and fourth holes to quickly move under par. Another gain on the eighth pushed him further up the leaderboard before a bogey on the closing hole left him with a round of 68.
Bryce Lewis grabbed the first-round lead with a sparkling 8-under 62 that featured seven birdies and an eagle against a lone bogey.
Lewis holds a one-shot advantage over Zac Blair, who opened with a 7-under 63, while Paul Peterson sits third after a 6-under 64.
