Daily Wrap-up: JT Shriners Hospitals for Children Open, Round 1

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LAS VEGAS (AP) -- Jhonattan Vegas and William McGirt shot career-best 8-under 63s on Thursday to share the first-round lead in the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open.

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Vegas, the Venezuelan rookie who won the Bob Hope Classic in January for his first PGA TOUR title, had 10 birdies and two bogeys at TPC Summerlin in the first of four Fall Series events.

McGirt, also a PGA TOUR rookie, had eight birdies in a bogey-free round.

Nathan Green and Charlie Wi were a stroke back.

Vegas, playing in hot afternoon conditions, birdied the par-4 15th and par-5 16th to reach 8 under, dropped a stroke on the par-3 17th and closed with a birdie on the par-4 18th to get back to 8 under.

"I feel like I'm hitting the ball absolutely great, which is something fun to do," Vegas said. "But the main thing was I made a lot of putts today.

"The two greens I missed today, I missed by probably half an inch. And just putting from the fringe I three-putted both times, which was kind of ironic. It's just golf. It is what it is. You have to stay positive, and the more positive you can be the better you'll be out there."

McGirt, playing in one of the last groups of the day, made seven birdies in a 10-hole stretch from Nos. 7 to 16, then parred the final two holes to match Vegas at 8 under.

"I really didn't set a number," McGirt said. "I was just trying to make as many birdies as I could. Thursday through Saturday, all you're doing is jockeying for position so that you can make a move on Sunday.

"I knew there was a 7 under posted (by Green) before I even teed off. So you knew it was out there, and it was just a matter of staying aggressive and making some putts."

Green, the leader until Vegas overtook him in the final hour, made seven birdies. The Australian won the 2009 Canadian Open for his lone PGA TOUR title.

"Just no mistakes, which was nice," Green said. "No bogeys, which was pretty unusual. "I didn't hit it overly close. It was just one of those steady rounds where I just managed to pick up; there's probably three or four sort of unexpected birdies out there."

Nick Watney, a two-time winner this year, was two strokes back at 65 along with Harrison Frazar, Tim Herron, Vaughn Taylor, Steve Flesch, Matt Jones, Rod Pampling, Derek Lamely, Blake Adams, Garrett Willis and Alex Cejka. Frazar and Lamely eagled the 524-yard 16th hole.

Jonathan Byrd, the winner last year when he made a hole-in-one on the fourth hole of a playoff with Martin Laird and Cameron Percy, opened with a 71.

TPC Summerlin: Thursday

EASIEST HOLE TOUGHEST HOLE The 15th hole was the easiest with a Thursday scoring average of 3.508. EAGLES: 5 BIRDIES: 61 PARS: 60 BOGEYS: 6 OTHERS: 0 The 3rd hole was the toughest with a Thursday scoring average of 4.235. EAGLES: 0 BIRDIES: 18 PARS: 71 BOGEYS: 38 OTHERS: 5

About the leaders

• Jhonattan Vegas recorded a career-low 8-under 63 on Thursday to share the opening-round lead with William McGirt. The 27-year-old native of Maturin, Venezuela is making his 25th start of the season, with 17 made cuts and a victory at the Humana Challenge. • Round 1 stats: 11/14 fairways hit, 16/18 green hit, 27 putts. • This represents the first time Vegas has held the lead/co-lead on the PGA TOUR. • Vegas' 63 on Thursday tops his career-best round on TOUR -- a first-round 64 en route to winning the 2011 Humana Challenge and a second-round 64 on his way to a T68 finish at the 2011 John Deere Classic. • Since missing six of seven cuts during the middle portion of his season, Vegas has responded by making nine consecutive cuts leading into the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open. • William McGirt, No. 137 on the official money list, opened with an 8-under 63 on Thursday to share the lead with Jhonattan Vegas in his first-ever appearance at the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open. • McGirt's 63 tops his previous best round on the PGA TOUR of 64, set during the first round of the 2011 Barclays (finished T24) and the second round of the Wyndham Championship (finished T52). • This represents the first time McGirt has held the lead/co-lead on TOUR. • Round 1 stats: 8/14 fairways hit, 16/18 green hit, 26 putts. • McGirt is making his 29th start of the year, with a T19 at the Mayakoba Golf Classic the best of his three top 25s.