HILTON HEAD ISLAND, South Carolina, April 12, 2012 (AFP) - Campbell birdied four of his first seven holes on the par-71 Harbour Town Golf Links layout, finishing with six birdies and two bogeys.
Taylor and Knost joined him atop the leaderboard with solid finishes -- Knost nabbing birdies at three of his last five holes and Taylor holing out from the fairway for an eagle at his final hole, the par-four ninth.
US veteran Jim Furyk, the 2010 champion, was a stroke back on 68 along with Harris English, South Korean Charlie Wi and Matt Every.
Three more players -- Blake Adams, John Mallinger and Chez Reavie -- were tied on 69.
England's Luke Donald, who must finish eighth or better to hold on to his world number one ranking, opened with a four-over 75.
Donald teed off on 10 and bogeyed 12 and the par-five 15th.
Another bogey at the first was followed by his only birdie of the day at the par-five second, but he gave back two strokes with a double-bogey six at the sixth.
Leading first-round scores here on Thursday from the $5.7 million US PGA TOUR RBC Heritage (USA unless noted, par-71):
67 - Chad Campbell, Colt Knost, Vaughn Taylor
68 - Harris English, Matt Every, Jim Furyk, Charlie Wi (KOR)
69 - Blake Adams, John Mallinger, Chez Reavie
70 - Jason Bohn, Kevin Chappell, Will Claxton, John Daly, Glen Day, Joe Durant, Tommy Gainey, Tom Gillis, Kevin Na, Carl Pettersson (SWE), John Rollins, Rory Sabbatini (RSA), Boo Weekley
71 - Stephen Ames (CAN), Bud Cauley, Greg Chalmers (AUS), Gary Christian (ENG), Chris Couch, Bob Estes, Robert Garrigus, Hunter Haas, Brian Harman, Trevor Immelman (RSA), Fredrik Jacobson (SWE), Lee Janzen, Zach Johnson, Marc Leishman (AUS), Webb Simpson, Heath Slocum, Brandt Snedeker, Kyle Stanley, Michael Thompson