Rory McIlroy was back leading the race for the £6million FedEx Cup bonus after going to the turn in 34 on day two of the Tour Championship.
The 23-year-old world number one really had to work hard to remain one under par after five holes in Atlanta, but then converted a 22-foot birdie chance on the short next.
He missed out on another birdie at the long ninth despite a massive 372-yard drive - it actually ran out of fairway - but at two under he was in a tie for ninth place.
And as that happened Tiger Woods, the main threat to McIlroy's hopes of landing the play-offs jackpot, bogeyed the opening hole.
Woods, who failed to get up and down from sand, had shared the overnight lead with England's Justin Rose, but they had barely set foot on the East Lake course when they found themselves being overtaken.
Matt Kuchar did it with two birdies in the first three, but that had nothing on Jim Furyk's start.
Chosen as a wild card for next week's Ryder Cup in Chicago, the 2010 FedEx Cup winner began with an incredible seven successive threes.
Five of those were for birdie, all of them the result of majestic irons, and at six under Furyk led his Medinah team-mate Kuchar by one and Rose and Bo Van Pelt by two.
Luke Donald and Lee Westwood had ground to make up after starting with a one over 71 and two over 72 respectively, but Westwood, who had eight bogeys on the opening day, instantly notched up two more.
He three-putted the first and could not save par from a bunker at the second, but six pars followed and then a birdie at the 600-yard ninth, where he made a 10-footer.
Donald also birdied there and it was his only deviation from par over the first 12 holes.
He was in 18th place and Westwood 26th in the 30-man field.
Furyk completed a stunning outward 29 - six under - when he pitched to within two feet of the flag at the ninth and then started for home with yet another birdie.
A 59 was still a possibility then, but the 42-year-old bogeyed the 13th and 16th.
The second of those dropped him into a tie with fellow American Bo Van Pelt on seven under, while Rose was three back and both McIlroy and Woods four behind.
The Northern Irish star bogeyed the 14th after driving into the trees, but hit back in brilliant fashion with a 25-foot eagle putt on the 15th and parred the last three for a 68.
Donald shot 69 for level par and 19th place, but Westwood's 73 meant he was down in 28th spot on five over.
Update:
Hello, regular commenting on Orange News and Sport pages closes on Thursday 30 May 2013. We will continue to provide a commenting facility on major news and sport events on orangeworld.co.uk. Contact us via http://oran.ge/OWfeedback if you have any further questions. Thanks.
