Talk about a hot start. Troy Mattesson has just made the turn and birdied Nos. 1 and 2 to move to 7 under through 12 holes.

With that sizzling stretch, Mattesson has joined Ricky Barnes at the top of the leaderboard. Another afternoon starter, Nathan Green, has made six birdies in his first 13 holes to pull into the logjam one shot off the lead.

Mattesson, who is a two-time winner of the Frys.com Open, could use a good start. He's only broken 70 once in the first round and hasn't finished higher than a tie for 26th at The Honda Classic this year.

CROMWELL, Conn. -- Temperatures are soaring well into the 90s here, and a heat index that’s into triple digits. It hasn’t affected scoring, though, with Nathan Green the early clubhouse leader after a 5-under 65.

“That's probably the only advantage of teeing off at 6:50,” Green said. “It was great out there. The greens are perfect, and it really wasn't too hot. We got a little bit of wind on the back nine. But perfect conditions.”

The Aussie got off to a fast start, making the turn in 31 after five birdies and one bogey on the back nine. He made just one birdie the rest of the round, however.

Still, it’s a good start for Green, who has missed three of his last four cuts and had just three other opening rounds in the 60s this year.

“It was just good to get off to a good start,” Green said. “It's been pretty rare the last two years, so hopefully keep it going.”

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – As the morning wave finishes on a windy Thursday, there is big group at the top of the leaderboard that includes the No. 1 player in the world.

Luke Donald, who is bidding to wrest the PGA TOUR money title from Webb Simpson, is among six players shooting 66. Simpson, who played with Donald, is two strokes back in the spirited competition.

“I know for most of the round I played a pretty solid round of golf today,” Donald, who trials by $363,029. “Couple loose shots at the ed. Wasn’t that easy out there. I think the wind was strong enough to make it a little bit tricky with club selection.

“Six birdies, no bogeys is always a good round.”

The last time the money title changed hands in the final week of the season was in 1996 when Tom Lehman overtook Phil Mickelson at the TOUR Championship by Coca-Cola.

Two of the other leaders have their 2012 PGA TOUR cards at stake. James Driscoll came into the week ranked No. 125 on the money list while Nathan Green is No. 175.

Two of other three players tied at 6 under picked up their first TOUR wins this year – Scott Stallings and Gary Woodland – while Arjun Atwal broke through in Greensboro last season.

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – No matter what happens this week, Nathan Green will have status on the PGA TOUR in 2012 as a past champion.

But the two-year exemption he gained for winning the RBC Canadian Open runs out this week. Adding to the challenge is that Green entered the Children’s Miracle Network Classic ranked 175th on the money list – when only the top 125 get their TOUR cards.

With his back figuratively against the wall, Green is playing well on Thursday at the Palm Course. He’s 5 under through 15 holes – which puts him one shot off the lead held jointly by James Driscoll, Arjun Atwal and Luke Donald.

Green is currently projected at No. 143 on the money list. Should he finish there, Green would get to play out of the 126-150 money list category next year.

That would likely net him in the neighborhood of 15-18 starts but without the luxury of being able to plan his schedule. Green would also be exempt into the final stage of q-school if he finishes inside 150 on the money list.

Before Jhonattan Vegas, William McGirt, Hunter Haas and anyone else inside the current top 10 took the course Thursday, the guys listed below were your leaders. The majority of the 10 listed below are fighting for spots inside the top 125 on the money list. Below are the players who posted scores of 65 or better in Round 1 that have afternoon tee times Friday. Track them all afternoon to see who can string together back-to-back good rounds at TPC Summerlin and regain their position near the top of the leaderboard.

Player Money rank Score Tee time Starting hole Shot Tracker Nathan Green 178th 7 under 3:17 p.m. ET No. 10 Click to follow Steve Flesch 122nd 6 under 2:39 p.m. ET No. 1 Click to follow Matt Jones 121st 6 under 2:49 p.m. ET No. 10 Click to follow Rod Pampling 119th 6 under 2:49 p.m. ET No. 1 Click to follow Harrison Frazar 64th 6 under 2:58 p.m. ET No. 10 Click to follow Nick Watney 3rd 6 under 2:58 p.m. ET No. 1 Click to follow Derek Lamely 194th 6 under 3:17 p.m. ET No. 10 Click to follow Vaughn Taylor 148th 6 under 3:17 p.m. ET No. 1 Click to follow Blake Adams 82nd 6 under 3:46 p.m. ET No. 10 Click to follow Garrett Willis 141st 6 under 3:46 p.m. ET No. 10 Click to follow

Jhonattan Vegas and William McGirt, two PGA TOUR rookies, find themselves atop the leaderboard after the first round of the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open. Vegas, who won early this season at the Bob Hope Classic after finishing No. 7 on the 2010 Nationwide Tour money list, is one of six rookie winners on the PGA TOUR this season. McGirt, a 2010 q-school graduate, hit his stride late in the season as he escaped the FedExCup bubble to qualify for The Barclays and the Deutsche Bank Championship. Nathan Green, who held the lead for much of the afternoon, ended up one shot off the pace. Charlie Wi birdied two of his last three holes to get to 7 under and tie Green for third place. There are 11 golfers (including Nick Watney, Steve Flesch, Matt Jones and Tim Herron) tied at 6 under, two shots off the pace. Click below to see some of the best shots from Thursday's opening round at TPC Summerlin.

Jhonattan Vegas reached 8 under, dropped back to 7 under on No. 17, then birdied No. 18 to take sole possession of the lead. The rookie from Venezuela now has company from another member of the 2011 rookie Class. With a birdie on the par-5 16th hole, this week’s Kodak Challenge hole, William McGirt has reached 8 under in what has been a bogey-free opening round thus far. McGirt, who qualified for the PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup in the last week of the Regular Season, has work to do to retain his full status on TOUR. He entered the Fall Series at No. 137 on the money list. Also moving up the leaderboard late in the afternoon was Charlie Wi. The South Korean birdied five consecutive holes on the back nine, his opening nine, and went on to post a 7-under 64, tied for the day’s second best score with early leader Nathan Green.

By Chris Dunham, PGATOUR.COM Sometimes it just takes a little time away. Because he missed the PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup, Nathan Green hadn’t made a start on TOUR in more than a month. Green tied for 52nd at his last start (Wyndham Championship). There, he was struggling off the tee which caused him to hit just 65 percent of his greens in regulation. Green had nine bogeys or worse against 12 birdies for the week in Greensboro. Fast forward to Thursday at TPC Summerlin where Green came roaring out of the gates with a bogey-free 7-under 64 for the first round lead of the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open. Green hit it long (304.5 average) and straight (10 of 14 fairways) off the tee allowing to hit 14 greens in regulation. “Today it just sort of all clicked a little bit,” Green said. “It's just one of those days where I sort of drove it a little -- just been struggling off the tee and felt like it's just gone through the rest of the game. And the putting has not been where it needs to be.” Not only was Green’s 64 the best round of career in this event, it tied the lowest number he’s posted all year. He posted a 64 during Round 2 of this year’s John Deere Classic on another par 71, and a 64 in the opening round of the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial (Par 70). “I made a couple of really nice up-and-downs, but it was just one of those real steady rounds where I just managed to pick up -- there's probably three or four sort of unexpected birdies out there,” Green said. “And yeah, just no mistakes, which was nice. (I had) no bogeys which was pretty unusual.” The 2009 RBC Canadian Open champion enters this week at No. 178th on the money list. He knows his TOUR card is in jeopardy but is focusing on getting his game together first and foremost. “It would just be nice to play some good golf; to play well this week and the next three weeks,” Green said. “I would be happy with that. I would like to keep my card, but even if I didn't, just to play some nice golf, just would take the pressure off.” Green’s last top-10 finish came in January of 2010 at the Sony Open in Hawaii. Since then, he’s made 27 cuts in 49 starts and just 11 in 22 with a top finish of 23rd this year. “Probably the last year and a half, my short game has not been good enough to compete,” Green said. “And my first few years on TOUR, I was able to hit the ball where I could to get it around and struggled to do it lately. Today was good. Felt like I left the course with a couple better than I deserved, so that was good.”

Nathan Green has emerged from an eight-way tie at 6 under to post a 64 that places him atop the leaderboard at the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open. Green, the 2009 RBC Canadian Open champion, hasn’t had a top-10 finish since the 2010 Sony Open in Hawaii. At No. 178 on the money list, Green has much work ahead of him to keep his fully-exempt status. The 36-year-old Aussie has made five starts at TPC Summerlin, never finishing higher than a tie for 47th. Today’s 7-under 64 is the best of his 17 rounds in this event. Click here to replay Green's first round

At first it looked like Steve Flesch would go low at TPC Summerlin. Then, if only for a brief couple holes, Billy Mayfair was on 59 watch. With much of the morning wave on its back nine now, the leaderboard is shaping up much like a 2010 Thursday leaderboard that featured five players tied for the 18-hole lead at 7 under and five others one shot off the pace. Currently, there are eight players -- Flesch, John Merrick, Matt Jones, Rod Pampling, Nick Watney, Robert Garrigus, Nathan Green and Paul Stankowski -- tied atop the leaderboard at 5 under with six checking in one shot off the pace at 4 under. Much can, and will, change between now and tonight’s conclusion of play but early indications are that tonight’s leaderboard may be just as packed, if not more crowded, than last year’s.