ROMWELL, June 20, 2014 (AFP) - The American player is seeking his second win on the USPGA Tour and his first since capturing the Texas Open three years ago.
"I felt pretty good over the last couple of months, but haven't been getting a lot out of it," Steele said.
Bud Cauley and Ryan Moore finished the first round of the $6.2 million event tied for second at seven-under 63 and are both one stroke back of Steele at River Highlands golf course.
Steele was eight under through 13 holes and couldn't help but start thinking about a 59.
"It definitely was in the back of my mind, so probably amped me up a little bit more, so made everything a little bit tougher," he said.
Five Americans, including Scott Langley and Chad Campbell, were tied for fourth place at six-under 64. Langley surged up the leaderboard on the back nine and got to within one shot of the lead, but he dropped a shot with a bogey on 17.
Langley and Campbell are joined by Joe Durant, Jeff Maggert and Eric Axley at six-under.
Ken Duke, who defeated Chris Stroud in a playoff at the Travelers last year to earn his first career victory, sits three shots back with six others at five-under par.
Spain's Sergio Garcia, Brad Fritsch of Canada, South Korea's K.J. Choi, Brandt Snedeker, Brooks Koepka and Doug LaBelle are also at five under.
Leading scores after the first round of the Travelers Championship at the par-70 River Highlands course on Thursday:
62 - Brendan Steele
63 - Ryan Moore, Bud Cauley
64 - Jeff Maggert, Chad Campbell, Joe Durant, Eric Axley, Scott Langley
65 - K.J. Choi, Sergio Garcia (ESP), Brad Fritsch (CAN), Ken Duke, Doug LaBelle, Brandt Snedeker, Brooks Koepka
66 - Heath Slocum, Steve Marino, Tim Wilkinson (NZL), Justin Hicks, Dustin Johnson, Kevin Chappell, Russell Knox (GBR), Keegan Bradley, Harris English, Hudson Swafford, Patrick Rodgers