Wyndham Championship 2016: Thursday Leaderboard Scores and Highlights

After last week's sojourn to Rio de Janeiro for the Olympics, the PGA Tour returned to the United States for the Wyndham Championship on Thursday with Rafael Cabrera-Bello and Kevin Na tied for the lead at seven under par. 

Cabrera-Bello picked up right where he left off last week. The 32-year-old tied for fifth at the Olympics after not finishing inside the top 10 at a PGA Tour event since April at the Shell Houston Open. 

Na is also keeping his momentum going after shooting a 64 in the final round at last week's John Deere Classic. 

Here is the full leaderboard after the first round at the Wyndham Championship in Greensboro, North Carolina:

Cabrera-Bello and Na had similar paths to their scores of 63. Both players shot 32 on the front nine and 31 on the back nine. 

The only difference in their rounds was that Cabrera-Bello hit an eagle on the par-five fifth hole.

He was also a wizard with his putter, gaining 6.06 strokes. It helped offset his 64.3 percent driving accuracy and 72.2 greens in regulation percentage.  

Na said after his round ended that the changes to the Sedgefield Country Club actually made it more difficult compared to his last appearance at the course. 

"The last time I played out here, (the greens were) bentgrass, and I shot that 61 on Saturday," Na said, per Jeff Mills of the Greensboro News and Record. "...The golf course has changed (to bermuda greens). It's a lot more difficult. I played unbelievably well. I just think it's a great course for me. I'm glad I'm back."

The 32-year-old Na has shot well in final rounds lately, carding a 66 at the PGA Championship and a 64 last week. If he is starting to harness that closing ability into the first three rounds, then this will be his second career PGA Tour win and first since 2011. 

Brandt Snedeker was on the verge of closing things out thanks to a run of three birdies in four holes from Nos. 13 through 16 that left him alone in second place, one shot behind Cabrera-Bello and Na. 

Unfortunately, Snedeker would hit his second shot on No. 18 into the bunker, and he salvaged only a bogey out of it, dropping him into a five-way tie for third place at five under. 

Among the players who are looking up at Na and Cabrera-Bello, Jim Furyk is on quite a roll. He finished Thursday as part of a 14-way tie for eighth place at four under, but the big story remains his ability to put himself in good positions on the green. 

Per Justin Ray of the Golf Channel, Furyk has a chance to make history for greens in regulation Friday:

The PGA Tour provided video on Twitter of Furyk nearly hitting a hole-in-one on the par-three third hole with this tee shot:

This is Furyk's first appearance since shooting a 58 in the final round at the Travelers Championship. He was too far behind on that day to challenge for a victory, but this start has him right in the mix for his first win since April 2015. 

A surprise performer was Peter Malnati, who is tied for third place after shooting a 65. The Indiana native has had a mostly horrid season, as Will Gray of the Golf Channel noted:

Malnati's effort at the John Deere Classic, which included a 66 in the final round, seems to have unlocked something inside of him. His 65 represents his low score of the 2015-16 PGA Tour season and the first time since January he has fired back-to-back rounds under 70. 

Hanging around the leaderboard through the first 18 holes was Rickie Fowler. He fired a three-under 67, highlighted by this drive on the fifth hole, via the PGA Tour on Twitter:

Fowler's season has been plagued by inconsistency. Just look no further than his performance at the Olympics for evidence of that. He opened with a 75-71 through 36 holes before rebounding with a brilliant 64 on Saturday that at least gave him hope of reaching the medal stand. 

Instead, Fowler shot a 74 on Sunday to finish back at even par and in a tie for 37th place. Avoiding that one bad round this week will go a long way toward getting that elusive first victory of the season. 

Things at the Wyndham Championship are so bunched together right now, especially right behind the leaders, that there is no clear favorite heading into the second round. 

Friday will provide some clarity with the field being cut in half after the second round. Based on the volume of scores under par on Thursday, the amount of movement coming and the high-caliber players in the mix will make for an interesting weekend in North Carolina. 

Stats courtesy of PGATour.com.