RIO GRANDE, Puerto Rico (AFP) - Bo Van Pelt, who is seeking his first USPGA Tour win, fired an 8-under-par 64 in Thursday's first round of the Puerto Rico Open on Thursday.

Van Pelt holed nine birdies against one bogey Trump International Golf Club to seize a two-stroke lead.

He got going with back-to-back birdies at Nos. 2 and 3 before carding his only bogey of the day at the fourth. He responded with a birdie at the fifth and then cooled down until the turn.

"I played solid. I only had one bogey," Van Pelt said. "I got under-par early, I think that's important, just got on the right side of par and kept going."

After four straight pars, Van Pelt started the back nine with three consecutive birdies. He added another at 15 and closed with a pair on the final two holes.

"When you make three in a row, you definitely get started off on a good note," Van Pelt said.

Ted Purdy and Kyle Thompson are tied for second at 6-under while five players are tied for fourth at 5-under.

Purdy and Thompson each started their rounds on No. 10 and had a bogey-free round with six birdies.

A rookie on the PGA Tour, Thompson won twice on the Nationwide Tour last season.