BLAINE, Minn. — Scott Piercy shot a 6-under 65 to share the 3M Open lead with Sungjae Im after the first round Thursday, fresh off several significant changes he made in search of a late-season boost.

Tony Finau was two strokes back, with three near misses of birdie putts over his last four holes.

Brice Garnett, Doug Ghim, Emiliano Grillo and Tom Hoge rounded out the group with Finau at 67.

On a dry, windy, 86-degree day at the TPC Twin Cities in suburban Minneapolis, the course’s penchant for producing low scores held up once again.

Playing in the second group of the day off the first tee, Piercy made 151 feet worth of putts. He birdied four of the first five holes on his back nine.

The 43-year-old Piercy is one of several on-the-fringe players seeking a late-season lift in the FedEx Cup race. Piercy arrived in Minnesota in 138th place, with the cut for the playoffs at 125 and two events left after this to qualify. In four of his last six starts, Piercy has failed to advance to the weekend.

On tour since 2009, Piercy has four career wins. Just last week, he switched his caddie, his swing coach, his driver and his putter – an uncharacteristically drastic series of decisions for him.

“Every shot counts, and it’s time to buckle down,” Piercy said. “Not that we don’t try to buckle down all the time, but there’s extra buckling down, I guess. To start off this way is really nice.”

Im, who’s 19th in the FedEx Cup standings and 24th in the world, birdied four of his last six holes. The 24-year-old from Korea tied for eighth at the Masters this year but tied for 81st last week at the British Open.

LPGA: Nelly Korda is just trying to enjoy herself at the Evian Championship after a four-month injury layoff that has given her more perspective about her golf.

Not that she felt so great taking a shot while standing barefoot in a slimy lake.

“I’ve never done anything like that and I must say, it was really gross,” Korda said about her adventure at No. 18 midway through an 7-under 64 in Evian-Les-Bains, France, that left her a stroke behind first-round leader Ayaka Furue in the LPGA Tour’s fourth major of 2022.

Korda’s approach shot at the par-5 18th hole – her ninth of the day after starting at No. 10 – rolled down a bank on the front right of the green and into the water. Her caddie ran up to the green and saw it was possible to make contact with the ball, so Korda removed her golf shoes, waded into the lake and splashed out to the edge of the green.

She went on to make par.

“It was really slimy,” Korda said, making a face before laughing.

The American missed a 12-foot birdie putt on her last hole but still shot her lowest round of the year, continuing her impressive comeback after time out following surgery on a blood clot in her arm.

This is her fifth event since returning to competitive action on June 16 and she has three top-10s in that time. She was No. 1 in the world when she stopped playing and now is No. 3.

“I think I’m a little more chill about it all,” she said. “I’m trying to enjoy myself as much as possible on the golf course.

“I don’t know if my caddie will agree because I do obviously get frustrated here and there, but I am trying to remind myself that I’m lucky to be out there. Just enjoy every moment.”

That’s pretty much what Furue did.

A seven-time winner in her native Japan, the No. 31-ranked Furue is looking to improve on a fourth-place finish last year. She rolled in nine birdies after her solitary bogey, at No. 13. Her birdie at No. 9, her last hole, was from 8 feet and completed her lowest round at a major.

Korda was tied for second with No. 10-ranked Brooke Henderson of Canada, who holed a double-breaker for eagle at No. 9, also her last hole.

SENIOR BRITISH OPEN: Playing with a new set of golf clubs after his own ones failed to arrive from the United States, Glen Day never expected to be a contender this week.

Imagine his surprise, then, at taking a share of the lead after the first round in Gleneagles, Scotland.

“I did get them in time to play a couple of practice rounds,” Day said of his new clubs, “so at least I know where the ball goes with those clubs. It’s not ideal, but even if I get my stuff, I still may play these.”

Day converted an 8-foot eagle putt at the par-5 18th at The King’s Course to match Stephen Ames’ bogey-free 6-under 64.

Paul Broadhurst, the 2016 champion at Carnoustie, was one stroke back along with Jerry Kelly, Kent Jones and Darren Clarke.