GREENSBORO, N.C. -- Camilo Villegas got away from golf for a little while, and his game came back.
Villegas shot a 7-under 63 on Thursday to take a one-stroke lead after the first round at the Wyndham Championship.
North Carolina natives Webb Simpson and William McGirt shot 64, and Scott Langley, Heath Slocum, Paul Casey, Andrew Loupe and Martin Laird were another stroke back in the final event before the PGA Tour's playoffs.
David Lingmerth (Arkansas Razorbacks) shot a 3-under 67, while Ken Duke (Arkadelphia, Henderson State) had a 2-under 68 and John Daly (Dardanelle, Razorbacks) was at 1-under 69. Bryce Molder (Conway) shot a 1-over 71 and Glen Day (Little Rock) had a 3-over 73.
Villegas hasn't won since 2010 and has only two top-10 finishes in the last three years.
After pulling out before the second round of the Canadian Open last month, he spent the past week back in his native Colombia to re-energize -- leaving his clubs behind in Florida.
"I just thought it was appropriate to hop on a plane and see mom and dad and recharge a little bit," Villegas said.
It helped him make a late charge up the Sedgefield Country Club leaderboard.
Starting on the back nine, Villegas had three early birdies before getting even hotter late. He followed his birdie on the fourth with an eagle on the par-5 fifth, placing his second shot about 3 feet from the stick.
He claimed sole possession of the lead two holes later with a birdie, sinking a 15-foot putt on the par-3 seventh.
Early leads have been something of a curse at Sedgefield. Since the tournament returned to the course in 2008, the only first-round leader to win was Arjun Atwal in 2010.
First-round leads haven't exactly been kind to Villegas lately, either. He held two of them last year, but missed the cut at the Honda Classic and finished 71st at the John Deere.
"I've also played great rounds and played some good ones after that," Villegas said. "It's a matter of just coming out here and playing good golf tomorrow. There shouldn't be any relationship between Thursday-Friday and Friday-Saturday or Saturday-Sunday."
Simpson, the 2011 winner, is hoping to make an impression on U.S. Ryder Cup captain Tom Watson whose three captain's picks are due next month. Simpson finished 15th on the Ryder Cup points list.
Playing in the marquee grouping of the day along with fellow Wyndham winners Brandt Snedeker (2007) and Patrick Reed (2013), Simpson birdied his first four holes.
He was briefly at 7 -under before he made bogey on the 17th when his 3-foot par putt hit a spike mark.
"Normally, the ball will kind of pop right over, but it got it pretty good and went right," Simpson said. "Late in the day, it happens to everybody."
McGirt also played well after spending some time away.
After his tie for 25th at the Canadian Open, the fourth-year pro took a break to paint his garage and -- as the father of a 17-month-old son -- joked that there were a "lot of dirty diapers I got to change."
WEB.COM TOUR
Fast, Piller share lead
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- Matt Fast and Martin Piller shared the lead Thursday after the first round of the News Sentinel Open at the Fox Den Country Club. Fast and Piller each shot a 6-under 65.
Brandon Bunn, Cory Whitsett, Ryan Spears, Sung Joon Park and Brandon Brown were tied for second at 5-under 66.
Sebastian Cappelen (Arkansas Razorbacks) had three birdies and three bogeys for an even-par round of 71.
EUROPEAN TOUR
Three at the top
ALLBORG, Denmark -- Thomas Bjorn shot a 5-under 66 for a three-way share of the lead after the first round of the Made in Denmark on Thursday, increasing his chances of securing a place in Europe's Ryder Cup team.
Playing in his home tournament, Bjorn made five birdies and did not drop a shot in gusty conditions. He was tied for first with Felipe Aguilar of Chile and Bradley Dredge of Wales.
They led by three shots over Thorbjorn Olesen of Denmark, who had a bogey-free 69. Nine players carded 70.
Bjorn hasn't played in the Ryder Cup since 2002, but a victory on the Himmerland Resort course will guarantee him a spot in the European team for the match against United States at Gleneagles next month.
Sports on 08/15/2014