Power close in Bermuda as Smotherman and Endycott lead

Austin Smotherman and Australia's Harrison Endycott shot nine-under-par rounds of 62 to share the early lead at the Butterfield Bermuda Championship in Bermuda.

It marked a career-low round of the PGA Tour for both golfers, and it's the first time either player has held the lead after a round.

Seamus Power is in a tie for 16th after an opening-round 65. The Waterford man holed his sixth birdie by the 12th but dropped shots on 13 and 15.

However, the top ranked player at the tournament at number 48 closed with birdies on the par-three 17th and par-five 18th to end three shots behind the leaders.

Smotherman rolled in nine birdies and avoided making a bogey, while Endycott benefited from two eagles at Port Royal Golf Course. They held a one-stroke advantage over Arjun Atwal of India, Adam Schenk, Scott Brown, Denny McCarthy and Robby Shelton at eight-under 63.

Smotherman was part of one of the earliest groups to begin their round and started his day off with a bang. He birdied four straight holes starting at the par-four fourth en route to a six-under 30 on his front nine.

"Ball control into the greens (was) great with the wedges," Smotherman said. "I mean, all my birdie putts were -- longest one I made was maybe 12, 13 feet. Keeping it in the fairway, hitting wedges close and then followed that up with taking care of the par 5s, getting there in two and some long two-putts."

Ranked No. 303 in the world, Smotherman is on track to begin the new season with four straight made cuts.

Endycott, a Tour rookie, began his round on the back nine and opened with two bogeys. He came back with four straight birdies and made his first eagle on the par-five 17th, later adding three birdies and an eagle (par-five seventh) over his final five