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By Helen Ross
PGATOUR.com Chief of Correspondents

NORTON, Mass. -- By his standards, those slate grey slacks and that cream-colored shirt with the matching insets were relatively subdued.

There was nothing subtle about the way Camilo Villegas played golf on Friday, though, during the first round of the Deutsche Bank Championship.

Camilo Villegas is hoping to turn a good season into a great one. (Jim Rogash/WireImage)

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

VILLEGAS THRU 18 HOLES

Category Total Rank Eagles 0 N/A Birdies 8 1 Pars 10 T81 Bogeys 0 N/A Double Bogeys 0 N/A Other 0 N/A Driving Accuracy 85.7% T3 Driving Distance 306.5 yds. T24 Putts per Round 26.0 T20 Putts per GIR 1.600 T19 Greens in Regulation 83.3% T3 Sand Saves 100.0 T1

• Camilo Villegas' Player Page

The 25-year-old Colombian tied his career low on the PGA TOUR with a bogey-free round of 63 that gave him a two-stroke lead in the second event of the PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup.

Villegas came to the TPC Boston ranked 46th in the FedExCup standings. His goal is to advance to THE TOUR Championship presented by Coca-Cola, and he could certainly make that reality the victory and those 9,000 points that go with it.

Villegas refuses to get ahead of himself, though.

"I think this whole playoff thing is not going to change the way we play," he explained. "You get on the golf course, you've got to go. You've got to be focused, you've got to hit every shot, you've got to be committed to every shot, and you've got to stick to your plan.

"Is it going to be fun for the fans? I think it is, because it's very easy to pass people and very easy to get passed. So there's going to be a lot more action going on.

"I don't think it's going to change much the way we play, at least the way I play. I mean, I have the same objective every week, try to tee it up, try to focus on every shot, try to win a golf tournament, and I can't be thinking about points and stuff."

Villegas was nothing if not focused as he made eight birdies in an extremely steady round at the TPC Boston. He found all but two fairways, hit 15 of 18 greens and finally got some putts to fall.

"I had a great day today, obviously," Villegas said. "(I) putted great, eight birdies, no bogeys, kept the ball in play and rolled some beautiful putts. I was happy with my round. It's very early in the week, and it's time to keep it going."

Villlegas did just that on Friday. He made consecutive birdies three times -- starting with a tricky 16-footer at the third hole and a two-putt from just off the green at the driveable par-4 fourth.

The former Florida standout turned in 32 after making a 20-footer at No. 6 and getting up and down from the bunker at the par-5 seventh hole. Birdies at the 12th and 14th then moved Villegas to 6 under and paved the way for a sizzling finish.

Villegas made a 12-footer for birdie on the 17th hole, and then reached the par-5 18th with a 5-wood that settled 27 feet from the pin. He barely missed the first putt, then tapped in from 20 inches to finish off the round of 8 under.

"I thought I made that putt for eagle, but the way, but I'll take the 4 and go do a little work," Villegas said with a smile.

Villegas is coming off three straight top-25 finishes, including a tie for 10th at the Canadian Open presented by Franklin Templeton Investments. Seven of his last 13 rounds have been in the 60s, and he seems to be getting back to the form that saw him get into a playoff at The Honda Classic and tie for third at AT&T National earlier this year.

"I've been feeling great all year, all year," Villegas said. "I haven't scored the way I would like to. Last week was a great week for me. I felt very good, and the last month I've been hitting the ball awesome, I just needed to get a putt down here and there, and I did today, and it paid off. A great round today."

A few more rounds like the one he shot Friday and Villegas could turn 2007 into a great season. So far, it's been one of fits and starts, rather than the consistent push he made a year ago when he had nine top-10s and finished 13th on the money list.

Villegas has made more than $1.2 million this year, though, and the man who has a business degree from Florida has gone about his job with an eye toward stepping up the corporate ladder.

"I am a little hard on myself, but I think it's been a great year," Villegas said. "It's been a great learning experience year. The first year it's always you're kind of experimenting and just trying to see what's out there and trying to just compare yourself against where you are.

"It was a fun year, it was a great year my rookie year, and this year has been a little bit different. It's been a little bit slower. I learned that I cannot play every week, that I've got to rest. It doesn't matter that I'm 25 years old. It's a tough mental game, and I've been learning a lot.

"Like I said, I've been feeling great all year, and that's one of my main objectives, to feel good. If you're feeling good, good things are going to happen. I wish I would have scored a little bit better throughout the year, but you know what, the year is not over, and we can still make it a very special one."

Copyright 2007 Associated Press. All rights reserved.