Thursday was a record day for scoring at Harbour Town. Here’s why.

Harbour Town Golf Links was reintroduced to the world Thursday, and everyone wanted a piece of it.

Bud Cauley leads after the first round of the RBC Heritage Presented by Boeing in what was the best opening day for scoring in tournament history. He fired an 8-under-par 63 to lead Luke Donald, Graham DeLaet and Sam Saunders by two.

The 70.326 scoring average by the 132-man field was the lowest opening round at the Heritage, eclipsing the 70.901 average first round in 2002. It was the 12th-lowest round overall.

The wind laid down at a place where swirling breeze is known to torment.

Cauley closed with three birdies on holes typically most affected by the wind — 16, 17 and 18 finishing along the Calibogue Sound.

“When I saw the wind was down and I knew how the course was playing, I knew the scores would be relatively low,” Cauley said. “The wind is going to stay down, so we have to keep on doing it.”

Harbour Town lost hundreds of trees during Hurricane Matthew in October. Staff replaced about a dozen integral to the golf course, but players have noticed more openings in the canopy this year and noted course conditions might have been improved by additional sunlight.

With no storm in sight and still conditions, players took aim at Harbour Town’s small targets. If favorable conditions continue, Brian Gay’s tournament record of 20-under 264 in 2009 appears within reach.

“We’ve got a little unlucky with the last few years, but looks like we finally have a really good week (of weather),” Donald said. “I knew I needed to make birdies today.

The course was gettable.”

Donald reiterated he has “done everything but win” at Harbour Town and that this is a chance to clear a hurdle. He has six top-3 finishes here and has led after three rounds the past three years.

Past champions Matt Kuchar, Gay, Jim Furyk, and Branden Grace are in a group at 3 under.

Cauley was a three-time all-American at Alabama. But after a fast professional start, he missed 15 months following shoulder surgery in 2014.

“It’s been nice this year to plan a schedule a little bit and come to places I like, like Harbour Town,” he said.

Cauley didn’t make a bogey Thursday — one of eight bogey-free rounds Thursday after nine rounds without a bogey during all of the 2016 tournament. He closed with four birdies in his final five holes, and his 63 matched the second-lowest opening round in tournament history.

His closing burst would have been difficult under less benign conditions, but it wasn’t unique Thursday.

Webb Simpson finished with birdies on his final five holes, including those most open to the wind. Simpson lost in a playoff to Graeme McDowell in 2013 when the wind whipping so hard the ball was moving on the greens.

“Usually we’re looking at another 5 to 10 miles per hour,” DeLaet said. “When that gets up in the trees, you never know where it’s coming from.”

Anirban Lahiri, who made six birdies en route to a 4-under 67, said he expects Harbour Town to toughen the final three rounds.

“It’s the kind of golf course where you have to take advantage where you can,” Lahiri said. “It’s probably going to really firm up. It’s not going to rain, it’s going to bake.”

This story was originally published April 13, 2017 at 7:09 PM with the headline "Thursday was a record day for scoring at Harbour Town. Here’s why.."