AT&T Classic: First-round notebook

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• With the threat of thunderstorms prior to the day, tournament officials elected to allow players to use preferred lies in Thursday's first round. Rain began falling at TPC Sugarloaf around noon EDT and lasted for the remainder of the first round. A heavy downpour caused a stoppage of play at 3:12 p.m., with play resuming at 3:43 p.m. Play was called for the day at 7:34 p.m. with 35 players still on the course. Total precipitation measured one inch.

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Zach Johnson is working on a streak of nine consecutive under-par rounds at TPC Sugarloaf.

• The five-way tie atop the leaderboard after the first round is the most in tournament history. The last time there was a four-way tie after 18 holes at the AT&T Classic was in 1967, the tournament's inaugural year. This year it's a fivesome of Jonathan Byrd, Jonathan Kaye, Parker McLachlin, Ryan Palmer and Kenny Perry on top with 6-under 66s. In 1967, the quartet of Miller Barber, Randy Glover, Don January and Charlie Sifford held the first-round lead after they all shot 69. None in that group finished in the top 10.

• Defending champion Zach Johnson is working on a streak of nine consecutive under-par rounds at TPC Sugarloaf. His last non-under-par round was the even-par 72 he shot in the final round of the rain-shortened 2005 event. Johnson also has 11 consecutive par-or-better rounds at the AT&T Classic. His last over-par round was a 3-over 75 in the first round in 2005.

• Camilo Villegas continues to enjoy TPC Sugarloaf. Last year, in his first appearance at the event, Villegas fired four sub-par rounds on his way to a tie for third. Villegas had his fifth consecutive under-par round Thursday, shooting a 68.

• Going back to his first round in 2006, Briny Baird has reeled off nine consecutive par-or-better rounds at TPC Sugarloaf. In the first round Thursday, he had an even-par 72.

• David Toms shot an opening-round 67. That score matched his previous-best score at the TPC Sugarloaf (final round, 2006). Toms tied for 15th in 2006. Since the tournament moved to TPC Sugarloaf in 1997, Toms has two top-10 finishes -- a tie for fifth in 1997 and a tie for 10th in 1999.

• It has been five years since Jonathan Kaye has had at least a share of the first-round lead on the PGA TOUR. At 6-under 66, he is tied with Jonathan Byrd, Parker McLachlin, Kenny Perry and Ryan Palmer. In 2003, Kaye was tied with four others through 18 holes at the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by MasterCard in Orlando, Fla. Kaye went on to tie for 10th that week.

• After playing in his first AT&T Classic in 1999, Jonathan Kaye returned in 2000. Since then, he's only played in even-numbered years. In his five previous appearances at TPC Sugarloaf, he's never missed a cut.

• Following his round, Jonathan Byrd spoke about the 301-yard, par-4 13th hole, "I think it's a fun hole." Fun is right. Thursday, Byrd made birdie there during his 6-under 66. His drive was 72 feet, 11 inches short of the green. He chipped to 6 feet, 6 inches and made his putt. In Byrd's last four AT&T Classics, he's 6-under on the hole, with six birdies and seven pars.

• Prior to Thursday's opening-round 66, Ryan Palmer's best score at TPC Sugarloaf was a 2-over 74, scores he shot in the first and second rounds last year when he missed the cut.

• The top finisher among the players with Georgia Tech connections was Stewart Cink. He shot a 4-under 68.

• The top finisher among the players with University of Georgia connections was Ryuji Imada, who shot a 1-under 71.

• Parker McLachlin fired a final-round 66 last year to finish in a tie for 16th. He had a front-nine 32 and a back-nine 34 on Sunday in 2007. In the first round this year, McLachlin again shot 66 on the strength of a front-nine 32 and a back-nine 34.

• Playing in his first AT&T Classic, former Georgia Bulldog Chris Kirk birdied the first three holes of the day and posted a 3-under 69. It was not the top score by a player competing in his first AT&T Classic, though. That distinction belongs to Bob Sowards, who shot a 5-under 67. Here are the scores of the 28 players who finished their first rounds and are playing here for the first time:

• Ben Crane withdrew before his round Thursday due to a bad back. Gabriel Hjertstedt replaced Crane in the field and finished with a 2-under 70. Ryan Armour was disqualified because of an improper withdrawal following his round.