Laird shared a hotel room in Toronto with Chez Reavie, who emerged from obscurity to secure his maiden PGA Tour victory at the Canadian Open three weeks ago, and the experience inspired the Scot to raise his game.

'I saw him win wire-to-wire, every step with him, because at night he would come back and talk about it', Laird told reporters after firing five birdies and an eagle in favourable morning conditions.

'He said to me Sunday night 'if I can do it, you can do it'.' Laird promptly finished joint-fourth at the Reno-Tahoe Open the following week and continued his good form at Sedgefield as he and Heintz opened a one-stroke lead over South African Tim Clark, Swede Carl Pettersson and Americans Scott Sterling and Garrett Willis.

An eagle at the par-four 13th, where he holed out from the rough with a wedge, was the highlight of Laird's round but he claimed the key shot was an eight-foot par save at the first.

'I holed a nice putt right in the middle', he said. 'I walked off the green thinking 'my stroke feels good already'.'

Ryder Cup
It would be a stretch to suggest another good finish would put Laird into contention for a spot on the European Ryder Cup team but stranger things have happened.

'To think about it seems obscene', said the 26-year-old, who left Glasgow eight years ago to accept an American university golf scholarship at Colorado State.

'People joked about it at the start of the year but I had to play good early and get in the limelight. It's definitely not on my mind (but) if I won this week and next, who knows'.

Heintz, meanwhile, played conservatively when the situation demanded it but it did not prevent the American from gathering eight birdies, his lone blemish coming at the tough par-four 18th (his ninth).

'It wasn't perfect golf', he admitted. 'It was well managed. When I was uncomfortable with a certain hole location, I was able to hit the ball in the middle of the green and give myself an easy two-putt'.

Defending champion Brandt Snedeker fired a solid four-under-par 66 to stand just three off the lead in a tie for 11th place with 18 other players.

The tournament, previously known as the Greater Greensboro Open, has returned to Sedgefield this year for the first time since 1976. -- REUTERS