Seamus Power carded a solid opening round of 67 at the John Deere Classic to lie inside the top-30 near the end of Day 1 in Illinois.
The two-time PGA Tour winner has endured a difficult few months, with five missed cuts in his last nine events since a tied-eighth finish at the Valspar Championship in late March.
The Waterford golfer has been hindered by recurring back issues, which forced his withdrawal from the Canadian Open after nine holes and his withdrawal after 18 holes (of 36) in US Open qualifying.
However, he posted a strong showing at TPC Deere Run on Thursday, carding five birdies with just one dropped to join the group of players on four-under par, five adrift of leader Doug Ghim.
Power, who birdied all three par-5s, registered three birdies on the trot around the turn, sinking a 17ft putt on the par-4 ninth, and clipping his approach shots in close at the 10th and 11th holes.
He dropped his only shot at the par-3 12th before notching another birdie at the long 17th.
Leader and Illinois native Ghim made an eagle from the sixth fairway en route to a bogey-free 62.
Ghim made four of his seven birdies on the inward nine to head to the clubhouse with a one-shot lead over Max Homa and Austin Eckroat. There have been nine first-time winners on the PGA Tour this season, and Ghim, a 29-year-old native of Illinois, is trying to become the 10th.
"Obviously any win on the PGA Tour is amazing. To do it here would be awesome," Ghim said. "There is a lot of golf to be played and I probably won' even be leading by the end of the day. We'll see."
Homa lies one stroke further back after his best round of 2025, a bogey at his last hole - the ninth - costing him a share of the lead.
Tied-second alongside Homa is Austin Eckroat, who eagled two of his first five holes en route to his own round of 63.
As the afternoon wave finished their rounds, four players were in the clubhouse on seven-under, David Lipsky, Sam Stevens, Justin Lower and past John Deere champion Michael Kim.
Rickie Fowler is in the grouping on six-under, after posting a scintillating 29 on his inward nine, the front nine.
