Hanson claims early Byron Nelson Championship lead

Irving, TX (SportsNetwork.com) - Peter Hanson carded a 5-under 65 on Thursday to claim the early lead of the Byron Nelson Championship.

Hanson is a six-time winner on the European Tour, but is seeking his first PGA Tour victory.

"It's my first time playing this course," admitted Hanson. "I played 14 holes Tuesday, but it's a great track and a lot of fun."

David Duval, Marc Leishman and Tim Wilkinson shared second place at TPC Four Seasons Las Colinas at 4-under 66, while last week's Players Championship winner Martin Kaymer headlined a group of eight players sharing fifth at 3- under 67.

Kaymer was joined by Ryan Palmer, Boo Weekley, John Huh, Tyrone Van Aswegen, Alex Cejka, Alex Prugh and Lee Williams.

Hanson opened his day with a 10-foot birdie at the first, and later rolled in back-to-back birdies from inside seven feet at the fourth and fifth to jump to 3-under.

After he converted another birdie effort at the seventh, he capped an outward 30 with an 8-foot birdie putt at the ninth to make the turn at 5-under.

A 2-putt birdie at the 14th dropped him back to minus-4, but he got that stroke back with a 6-foot birdie at the 18th to claim the outright lead heading into the second round.

"It's always nice to come off the last hole with a birdie," said Hanson. "I got off to a really good start, five birdies coming out. Had a few chances coming back in and made a bit of a clumsy bogey from the fringe on 14."

Leishman had early grabbed the clubhouse lead after the morning wave. He started his round with a par at the first before sticking his tee shot at the par-3 second to within a foot and kicking in that short birdie.

He made it two gains in a row at the third, but bogeyed the fourth to fall back to 1-under. Leishman quickly got that shot back with a birdie at the fifth and then parred his next four holes before moving to 3-under with a 9- foot birdie putt at the 10th.

He then posted seven pars around a birdie at the 16th to finish at minus-4.

Duval countered a pair of bogeys with six birdies during his round to finish at 4-under, while Wilkinson had five birdies and a bogey to earn his share of second place.

NOTES: Three of the last four winners of the Byron Nelson Championship were making their first appearance at the tournament ... Defending champion Sang- Moon Bae carded a 3-over 73 during his first round and is tied for 106th place. He is trying to become the first back-to-back champion since Tom Watson won three in a row from 1978-80.