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Matt Every shoots 61, leads Henrik Stenson by one at Wyndham Championship

Wyndham Championship - Round One

Jared C. Tilton

On the opening hole of the Wyndham Championship at Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro, N.C., Matt Every holed out from 105 yards for an eagle. Surely, it would be all down hill from there. Not quite. Every would go on to shoot the low round of his career on Thursday, a bogey-free, nine-under 61 to take a one shot lead over Henrik Stenson.

Every, 33, followed up his eagle with seven more birdies on his round, four of which helped him make the turn in six-under 29. The two-time PGA Tour winner was dialed in, hitting 17 of 18 greens and holing just 51 feet of putts. Coming into the week, the Florida native was 183rd in the FedEx Cup Standings, meaning he will almost certainly need to win or finish in second to earn a spot in next week's Northern Trust Open. He's made just nine of 29 cuts this season, but did find himself in contention at the RBC Canadian Open two weeks ago, ultimately finishing T-14th.

Henrik Stenson, who ranks 75th in the FedEx Cup standings, will be at Glen Oaks for the FedEx Cup opener next week, but decided to tee it up at the Wyndham for just the fourth time in his career. History would not suggest success, his having missed the cut in 2010 and 2011 and withdrawing in 2012. But the Swede fared better at the Donald Ross course on Thursday, posting an eight-under 62, his low round of the season. After missing five of six cuts leading into the Open Championship, he's found some late season form, finishing T-11 at Royal Birkdale, T-17 at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational and T13 at the PGA Championship.

Seven players are two shots behind Every at seven under, including Webb Simpson, who earned his first PGA Tour victory at the Wyndham in 2011.

Just three shots back is 53-year-old Davis Love III thanks to a bogey-free 64. The two-time Ryder Cup captain hit just seven fairways, but still managed to find every green in regulation on a track he's pretty familiar with. In 2015, he became the third oldest winner in PGA Tour history when he won the Wyndham at the age of 51.