PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. — Hunter Mahan was bracing for the worst at Pebble Beach and instead was reminded how much he loves this place.

The rain stayed away Thursday and Mahan took advantage of gorgeous conditions for a 6-under 66 that gave him a share of the lead to par with Russell Knox in the Pebble Beach National Pro-Am.

Knox, trying to make the most out of limited starts on the PGA Tour this year, had a 6-under 64 at Monterey Peninsula.

The best round might have belonged to Seung-yul Noh. He played at Spyglass Hill, typically the toughest of the three courses when conditions are benign.

The South Korean was 7 under through 16 holes until finishing with two bogeys. Even so, his 5-under 67 was the best score at Spyglass.

Two share Joburg lead

At Johannesburg, Germany’s Maximilian Kiefer and South Africa’s Richard Sterne shot 8-under 63s to share the lead after the first round of the European Tour’s Joburg Open.

Kiefer, who finished second at the Dubai Desert Classic, and Sterne had bogey-free rounds on the West Course at Royal Johannesburg and Kensington Golf Club.