BERTHOUD, Colo. – Taylor Moore tied the course and tournament scoring records with a bogey-free 9-under 63 in the opening round of the TPC Colorado Championship at Heron Lakes Thursday morning. Moore, who was in the first group off the 10th tee at 6:50 a.m. local time, closed his round with a 7-under 29 on the front nine, making an eagle and five birdies.

The TPC Colorado course record was established by Greyson Sigg and Chase Johnson in the final round of this event last year.

Moore’s 9-under round marked his career-low score relative to par on the Korn Ferry Tour. Making his 93rd career start on Tour this week, Moore previously shot 63 seven times, with the most recent occurrence being a 7-under 63 in the opening round of last month’s Wichita Open Benefitting KU Wichita Pediatrics, which earned him a share of the first-round lead for the third time in his career.

This is the first time Moore holds an outright first-round lead at a Korn Ferry Tour event.

“Chipped in for eagle on No. 1 from about 30 yards. That really jump-started me,” said Moore, who birdied four of his last five holes. “Drove it almost on No. 3, (got) up and down for birdie there. Tap-in (birdie) at No. 6. And No. 8 and No. 9, those aren’t easy holes, especially with the way the wind switched. I hit two quality shots coming in there.

“I hit a lot of quality shots on my front nine and just didn’t get anything to go. I missed a couple birdie putts on the par-5s, Nos. 13 and 15, that were makeable and slid by. I was trying to be patient and get into the flow of the round, in the flow of the tournament.”

Moore nearly played the 773-yard, par-5 13th – which is the longest hole in PGA TOUR-sanctioned golf and will be one of the featured holes on this weekend’s PGA TOUR LIVE broadcast – to perfection. The University of Arkansas alum hit driver, 3-wood, and pitching wedge as he reached the green in regulation and had a makeable birdie attempt.

“It played long with that 6:50 (a.m.) start time I had,” Moore said. “It’s a long golf hole and you’ve got to hit three quality shots to have a birdie chance.”

Currently sitting at 21st in the 2020-21 Korn Ferry Tour points standings with five regular season events remaining, Moore’s recent tear of top-notch golf has him in position to earn a PGA TOUR card come August. In his last 12 starts, Moore has 10 top-25s and seven top-10s, including a T5 two weeks ago at the Live and Work in Maine Open.

A win this week would take Moore over the 1,700-point threshold the Korn Ferry Tour is currently using as its fail-safe number for players to finish inside the top 25 and earn a PGA TOUR card for this fall.

“I’m in a good position,” said Moore, whose career-high finish in the Korn Ferry Tour points standings was 37th in 2018. “I’m playing quality golf. I like where I’m at. I like it better on the inside, versus being on the outside of the top 25. I’d like to win a golf tournament. That would take care of a lot. I’m trying to do that each week I tee it up and not really watch the list. That’s where my head is at.

“I’m not thinking about much, honestly. I’m just doing all the little stuff I need to do in order to get myself ready to play, and just trying to be where my feet are, be calm, not try to force anything, do anything crazy. I’m just trying to play solid golf, execute what’s in front of me.”

Play was suspended due to darkness at 8:35 p.m., with six players playing their final hole.

Second-round tee times will run from 6:50 a.m. through 2:27 p.m. local time off the first and 10th tees.