Séamus Power recovered from a shaky start to shoot a two-under par 69 to sit six shots off the lead after the opening round of the 3M Open.
The Waterford man began with a birdie at TPC Twin Cities, but that was immediately followed by three successive bogeys.
FULL LEADERBOARD
The 37-year-old steadied the ship by picking up a shot at the seventh, before the highlight of the round came at the par-5 596-yard 12th.
A booming 325-yard drive was followed by an outstanding approach shot, leaving Power with a a four foot putt for an eagle which he duly delivered.
Another birdie arrived at the 16th as he signed for a 69, half a dozen shots adrift of the man at the top of the leaderboard, American Jacob Bridgeman.
Bridgeman, who has missed the cut in his last three starts, covered his final seven holes in five under par to card an opening eight-under-par 63.
The world number 206 made a hat-trick of birdies from the 12th, holed out from a bunker for another on the 17th and also birdied the last to edge ahead of Canada's Mackenzie Hughes, who had posted a flawless 64.
Open Championship runner-up Billy Horschel had earlier withdrawn from the penultimate regular event of the PGA Tour season ahead of his first round.
Horschel, who birdied the last three holes in the final round at Royal Troon on Sunday to share second place with Justin Rose, cited illness in quotes given to tournament officials.
"Yeah, it was unfortunate," the world number 33 said. "I wasn't feeling great late last night and took some medicine.
"Had decent sleep but woke up and just have a fever, body is just not wanting to respond, every muscle feels like it's locked up. Tried to do a little warm-up in the gym, just didn't respond.
"Tried to go out to the golf course and hit some balls, body's just not wanting to cooperate.
"(It's) disappointing. I was looking forward to playing here at 3M. Played here last year, had a good finish. The event is well run so very disappointed not to be able to play here after coming off a really great finish last week."
Horschel was replaced in the field by first reserve Adam Long.
Additional reporting: PA
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