Ryder Cup rookie sensation Anthony Kim was showing no sign of a letdown on Thursday as he seized a four-shot lead in the US PGA Tour Championship.

Kim nabbed eight birdies in a six-under 64 as the $7-million tournament began in testing windy conditions at East Lake.

Kim, one of six rookie members to take part in the United States' 16.5-11.5 victory over Europe in the Ryder Cup at Valhalla last week.

Kim had spearheaded the Americans' effort in Sunday's closing singles as he thrashed European Ryder Cup star Sergio Garcia 5 and 4 in the first match of the day.

The United States went on the claim the Cup for the first time in nine years.

"It took me a couple of days to get over that celebration we had on Sunday night, so I wasn't expecting too much," Kim said.

Four days on, however, Kim found himself with a comfortable lead in an elite 30-man field.

Ryder Cup team-mate Phil Mickelson and South Africans Ernie Els and Masters champion Trevor Immelman shared second place on 68.

South Korea's KJ Choi was the only other player to break par with a 69.

Fiji's Vijay Singh, who only has to complete the 72 holes to clinch a $10-million bonus as the winner of the FedEx Cup playoff series, struggled to a three-over 73.

Singh had a nightmare start with four bogeys in his first eight holes, but was somewhat steadier coming home.

It is the second year in a row the FedEx Cup playoff winner has been virtually certain before the Tour Championship, after Tiger Woods won the FedEx Cup in 2007.

This year's event is missing the past four winners — Woods, Australian Adam Scott (2006), Bart Bryant (2005) and South African Retief Goosen (2004).

Kim, who claimed his first PGA Tour victory in Charlotte in May, rebounded from a bogey at his opening hole with back-to-back birdies at three and four. He picked up four more birdies in a five-hole stretch from the seventh.

Kim said he had expected birdies to be even more in evidence, after Woods's 23-under winning total last year.

"The course is playing a lot tougher than I had heard about," Kim said. "I thought the winning score was going to be around 20-under again, and I don't think it's going to get there."

Kim said he had sorted out a putting problem on the practice green that helped him on the firm, fast greens, which have been replanted since last year.

"I figured something out on the putting green this morning," he said. "It was the most basic thing, to keep your eye on the ball. Now I've got that under control, I'm going to try to make some more putts.

"Almost everything in my game was clicking pretty well out there."

Mickelson, who had just one win in five matches at the Ryder Cup, charged to four-under at the turn.

He bogeyed 10 and 11, battled back with two more birdies then surrendered two more shots coming in.

"It was playing very tough today, and I'll take anything under par," Mickelson said. "I made a few bogeys on the back but I'm pleased with two-under."

Immelman was pleased to give up just two bogeys in the tough conditions.

"Any time you can shoot par or better on this course, you've played real well," he said.

"My driver was a little wayward on the back nine, but I stepped up and hit a good one on 17, so that was a nice way to finish off."

Els closed with a bogey, but had four birdies on his inward run.

"I'm pretty happy with it," he said. "A little windy out there, the greens are firm and the 18th hole is never the easiest to finish on.

Garcia, the only member of the European Ryder Cup team in the field, rallied for an even par 70.

AFP

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