CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Webb Simpson is nervous by nature, so there was plenty of concern going into the Wells Fargo Championship.

Simpson lives about a mile away from Quail Hollow, and he wanted badly to perform well for family, friends and neighbors Thursday. History was not on his side because he missed the cut at Quail Hollow is first two times, along with two missed cuts at the other North Carolina tournament in Greensboro.

And if that wasn’t enough, he was playing with Tiger Woods.

“I was nervous playing with Tiger,” Simpson said. “I prayed a lot out there.”

The prayers were for calmness, though it appeared as if Simpson had a few of the golfing prayers answered, too. Like the birdie putt just inside 30 feet that dropped on No. 6, or the chip he holed for eagle on the eighth hole from 35 yards in front of the green. And then there was that 60- foot birdie putt that might have rolled off the 12th green if the cup wasn’t right in the way.

It led to a 7-under 65, giving Simpson a share of the firstround lead with Stewart Cink and Ryan Moore.

Cink and Moore were on opposite sides of the golf course, making a little noise of their own before far fewer fans. Both finished on the back nine, and they finished in style with three straight birdies to get their names atop the leaderboard.

Woods, meanwhile, failed to birdie a pair of par 5s, missed an easy birdie chance at No. 8 and had to scramble late in his round for a 71. With such hot weather, he said the greens looked fast but rolled slower than that, although he paused to recognize that it wasn’t vexing for everyone — such as the guy in his group.

“Obviously, Webb didn’t have a problem,” Woods said.

U.S. Open champion Rory McIlroy three-putted the 18th from 18 feet for a 70. Woods and Phil Mickelson were at 71, along with Geoff Ogilvy, who played with Woods and Simpson.

Thousands of fans on a scorching day at Quail Hollow followed them around all afternoon, with Simpson and Geoff Ogilvy (71) in tow. Simpson is the one who generated most of the cheers. He stuffed his tee shot on the par- 3 second and his approach on the third to inside 3 feet for birdies, holed the long birdie putt at the sixth, and then chipped in for his eagle.