Every matches mark with first-round 61

But only leads by one at Wyndham

Matt Every matched the Wyndham Championship’s first-round record with a 9under 61 Thursday to take a one-stroke lead in Greensboro, N.C.

Every tied the openinground mark set in 2010 by Arjun Atwal, who went on to win the PGA Tour’s final tournament before the postseason.

Henrik Stenson opened with a 62. Former Wyndham winner Webb Simpson was at 63 along with Cameron Smith, Vaughn Taylor, Tim Wilkinson, Harold Varner III, Brian Campbell and Sam Saunders.

For Every, 33, who has two career victories on tour, this was a much-needed strong start to what he hopes is a long week.

Every arrived at par-70 Sedgefield Country Club in a tie for 183rd on the FedEx Cup points list. The top 125 qualify for The Northern Trust next week in New York.

His best finish this season was a tie for 14th at the Canadian Open.

Other tournaments

Paul Lawrie Match Play: Anthony Wall holed a long birdie putt on No. 18 to begin the defense of his title with a 1-up victory over Sam Walker in the first round in Bad Griesbach, Germany. The Englishman won the European Tour event, his first title in more than 16 years, when it was held in Scotland in 2016. It is being staged in Germany this year and all four German participants — Florian Fritsch, Maximilian Kiefer, Alexander Knappe and Marcel Siem — advanced.

U.S. Amateur: Australia’s Travis Smyth knocked off No. 3-ranked Braden Thornberry, the NCAA champion from Mississippi, in the morning and advanced to the quarterfinals in the afternoon with a 2-and-1 victory over No. 12 Will Zalatoris in Pacific Palisades, Calif.