Golf: Danny Lee takes first round lead at Bridgestone Invitational event

Danny Lee, from New Zealand. (AP Photo)

Danny Lee has kept up his red-hot form, leading the prestigious Bridgestone Invitational after the first round.

A World Gold Championship event, the Bridgestone Invitational field consists of 77 of the world's top golfers, and Lee was the best of the bunch today, carding a five-under 65.

Lee has played a busy schedule so far this season on the PGA Tour in a bid to make the Presidents Cup international team, and he is close to becoming a lock, with a good result this weekend making him a near-certainty to either qualify in one of the 10 available spots, or be a must-select as a captain's pick by Nick Price.

Lee's round today started busily - with three birdies and a bogey on his first four holes, before adding a further bogey and birdie on his sixth and seventh holes of the day to sit at two-under par going into the turn.

However, three quick birdies on his back nine pushed him to five-under where he stayed, finishing his round with five straight pars to stay atop the field stacked with big names.

He leads by one shot over Graeme McDowell and Jim Furyk, while Rickie Fowler and Justin Rose are just a further shot back.

"It was a good day for me. I left couple short birdie putts out there. It's hard for me to say that and it may sound a little bit too greedy, but I did," the world No.66 Lee said.

Lee has had three top five finishes in his last four events - winning the Greenbrier Classic before finishing third at the John Deere Classic and fourth at the Quicken Loans National last weekend.

He has risen to 11th in the FedEx Cup rankings and 66th in the world rankings - marks which are set to go even higher as Lee continues what is quickly becoming one of the best seasons in New Zealand golf history.