While golf's elite were taking aim at newly crowned PGA Champion Tiger Woods in the World Golf Championship Bridgestone Invitational in Akron, Ohio, MacKenzie fired a nine-under-par 63 for a one-stroke lead over Bob Estes.
MacKenzie's three eagles -- all at par-fives on the Montreaux Golf and Country Club course -- tied the PGA Tour high for one round in 2006, and his 63 was a first-round best at this event.
"I've probably had two eagles, but not three," MacKenzie said. "I was just hitting it pretty much wherever I wanted to the whole day and had great speed on the greens."
Estes' round included an eagle from the fairway at the par-five 17th as well as seven birdies.
His 64 put him two shots in front of a group sharing third place on 66: John Cook, Rich Beem, Nick Watney and Australian David McKenzie.
Two-time defending champion Vaughn Taylor, who posted a wire-to-wire victory here last year, now finds himself among the elite field in Akron, and also looking forward to representing the US in the Ryder Cup.
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