PLYMOUTH – Winners of the last three overall championships share the lead after the first round of the 55th Annual Canasawacta Country Club Men’s Member-Guest Tournament.

Tim Carson and Scott Seiler, winners in 2011 and 2012, along with 2010 champions Bryan Smith and Todd Seiler fired matching 5-under-par 66s during Thursday’s afternoon round. One shot back are Tom Porack and Brian Harmon, who completed a four-under-par 67 through the steady morning rain, while the youngest team in the field, Corey Johnson and Eric Walling, carded a 68 to sit in third.

Carson and Seiler had two birdies on the front nine and three on the back nine in a blemish-free performance. “Really, we weren’t in trouble all day,” Scott Seiler said. “Tim had to make a 10-foot par putt on 14, other than that it was smooth sailing.”

Smith and Todd Seiler made good use of their length off the tee birdieing all four par-fives. An unexpected bonus was Smith’s eagle on the par-four 16th hole when he holed his 80-yard shot for a deuce. Overall, the 2010 champs o had five birdies, the one aforementioned eagle, against a pair of bogeys.

Smith agreed that one of the big keys to the tournament is his team’s performance on the par-fives. “I tell Todd that we’re playing (the par-fives) like they are par-fours,” Smith said.