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By John Bush
PGA TOUR Staff

TRAVELERS REST, S.C. -- After a one-week break on the Nationwide Tour, David Hearn wasted little time getting back into the swing of things with a stellar 9-under 63 at the Cliffs Valley Course to take the early lead at the $650,000 BMW Charity Pro-Am at The Cliffs.

David Hearn is seeking his first Nationwide Tour win. (WireImage)

Conditions were favorable for scoring at the par-72 Cliffs Valley Course, leading to the top five players on the leaderboard playing on the Ben Wright-designed layout.

Hearn posted 10 birdies and just one bogey on his scorecard to take a two-stroke lead over Todd Demsey (65/CV) and GOLF CHANNEL's Big Break VII finalist Tommy Gainey (65/CV).

Erik Compton (66/CV) and James Driscoll (66/CV) sit three back. The 63 was the best opening-round score in tournament history, and just two off of Todd Barranger's course record set in 2002.

"I was playing the more scoreable of the three courses so I wanted to get off to a good start," said Hearn, who hit 13 of 14 fairways and 14 of 18 greens in regulation. "I did that and more today."

Hearn's round consisted of two lengthy birdie streaks, including three in a row on Nos. 4-6 and four consecutive on Nos. 11-14. The round topped his previous career best of 64, set on the Nationwide Tour during the second round of the 2004 Tour Championship. He also tallied 64s on two occasions on the PGA TOUR, most recently during the opening round of the 2005 Valero Texas Open.

"It is difficult to say it is my best round because it's only Thursday but it is definitely my best score," said Hearn, the winner of the 2004 Alberta Classic. "I didn't really hit any remarkable shots but I didn't really hit any poor shots either. It was just a solid round."

Demsey stayed close to the lead with a bogey-free 65, highlighted by a four-hole stretch on Nos. 4-7 in which he posted three birdies and an eagle on the par-5 sixth hole, equaling the season's best birdie-eagle streak in the process.

The former college teammate of THE PLAYERS Championship winner Phil Mickelson is still riding high from his appearance two weeks ago at the Wachovia Championship, where he gained entry into that field through a Monday Qualifier.

His T69 finish in Charlotte helped keep his perfect cuts made streak in tact, having already made the first eight on the Nationwide Tour -- the only player on Tour to do so.

"It was good for me to play in a tournament like that with huge crowds and a tough golf course," said Demsey. "It was good to get a taste of that ... and to play well on top of it. It gives me the confidence to come back to the Nationwide Tour, even though the competition out here is almost as good if not as good as out there."

Gainey has been the center of attention as of late, and Thursday was no different. Having missed the cut at the Wachovia Championship, he is playing this week on a Sponsor's Exemption. He'll face off with Ashley Gomes this upcoming Tuesday in the finals of The Big Break VII: Reunion, to be televised at 10:00 p.m. ET.

"This is sweet," said Gainey. "I was hitting everything good. I was hitting my irons really good ... and you've got to drive it well. You can't score if you're hitting it all over the yard. Nerves didn't come into play at all. I was loose the whole day."

When pressed on the outcome of Tuesday's final show, Gainey wouldn't budge.

"Winning?" said Gainey. "Ya'll can keep trying but you're not getting anything from me. All I have to say is never underestimate a female, especially one as good as Ashley."

Jimmy Walker and Jim McGovern managed the round of the day at the par-71 Keowee Vineyards Course with 5-under 66s, while Richard Johnson posted a 5-under 66 at the Cliffs at Walnut Cove. All three players are three shots behind Hearn's leading score.

"It was so important to get off to a good start," said Walker, the 2004 Tour Player of the Year. "I think this course (KV) is the toughest of the three courses. I'm glad to get it out of the way."

First Round News & Notes: The first-round leader has gone on to win just twice in 15 events at the BMW Charity Pro-Am at The Cliffs (Russell Beiersdorf in 1992 and Tripp Isenhour in 2003) ... There were just three bogey-free rounds on Thursday: Todd Demsey (65/CV), Jim McGovern (66/KV) and Paul Claxton (69/WC) ... Opening-round scoring averages: Cliffs Valley (70.214), Keowee Vineyards (71.554) and Walnut Cove (72.339) ... The BMW Charity Pro-Am is the only event on Tour that features professionals paired with an amateur/celebrity partner in a three-day best-ball competition. Amateurs, celebrities and pros will rotate between each of the three courses on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, with the 14 lowest teams advancing to Sunday's final round.