Steve Marino fired an opening five-under-par 65 to take a one-stroke lead after the first round of the AT&T National on the Blue Course at Congressional Country Club.
Marino leads Bob Estes, Jeff Overton, Frank Lickliter and Rod Pampling, who all shot four-under 66s, while seven players are two strokes back after three-under 67s.
Marino, 28, birdied three of his first four holes and added birdies at holes 13 and 18 during his bogey-free round in Maryland.
"The course is playing a little bit easier than last year," Marino said. "I think the rough is probably half as tall as it was last year, so it gives you some leeway.
"If you miss the fairway sometimes you can hit it on the green, or at least advance it somewhere up around the green where you can get it up and down."
Stuart Appleby, who has five top-10 finishes this season, is among the crowd at three under after completing a bogey-free round.
"I like the way I'm playing and I'm feeling comfortable out there," Appleby said. "I've got some good stuff going on.
"The course was playing reasonably easy. Not easy as in you'll make a pile of birdies, but it was in front of us. The course is firming up so the ball was bouncing a little bit, but it's not getting any easier."
Defending champion KJ Choi carded a two-under 68 in his first round and is in a tie for 13th place with eight others.
"It's a good number, two under par today," Choi said.
"I wasn't nervous and I enjoyed the round and I had a good group and the crowd was great."
World number seven Steve Stricker, the highest-ranked player in the field and runner up to Choi at this event last year, made three bogeys and two birdies, shooting a 71.
The event is hosted by Tiger Woods, who was advised by doctors not to fly after undergoing knee surgery to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee three weeks ago.
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