Playing in his first PGA Championship, Storm was bogey-free as he coped superbly well with the searing temperatures on a baking hot afternoon in Oklahoma.

As a result the Hartlepool golfer was the surprise first round leader from former champion John Daly, who carded a three-under-par 67 to be second on his own with Arron Oberholser, Woody Austin and Stephen Ames another shot back.

Storm started his round on the back nine with consecutive birdies and was four under at the turn after birdies at 13 and 16.

"It was just one of those rounds where I never really thought about anything," Storm said. "I did get off to a fast start, so two under through the first two holes is always nice."

Getting through a round at Southern Hills without a bogey is also pretty nice, even if Storm did miss a few opportunities to extend his lead. He had one birdie on his back nine - at the par-four second - and missed a five-footer for birdie on his closing hole, the ninth.

Daly, who is only in the field because of his victory at Crooked Stick in 1991, started steadily with three pars and then birdied three of his final six holes on the front nine. He added a birdie on 13 and carded his only bogey at the par-four 16th after hitting his tee shot into the trees.

Daly had a similar start at the Open but that ended much worse than with a single bogey. At Carnoustie, he was five-under through 11 holes but finished with three bogeys, a double-bogey and a triple-bogey on the last seven and went on to miss the cut.

Defending champion Tiger Woods was three under par through six holes and tied for the early lead but he had just one more birdie the rest of the way with five bogeys for a disappointing one-over-par 71.

"I felt like I hit the ball better than my score indicates which is good," Woods said. "That's a good sign heading into the next three days. I just need to clean up my round a little bit."