LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – Luke Donald figured he might have to win at Disney to have his best shot at capturing the PGA Tour money title. He took a good step Thursday in the Children’s Miracle Network Classic with a 6-under 66 for a seven-way share of the lead.

Donald is playing the opening two rounds with Webb Simpson, whose runner-up finish last week at Sea Island gave him a $363,029 lead in the money list. Simpson also played bogey-free on the easier Palm course for a 68.

“Would have loved to have made a couple more at the end,” Donald said of his six birdies. “I didn’t hit the ball great the last few holes.”

With so much attention at the top, it’s even more critical at the bottom as players try to finish in the top 125 on the money list to keep full status for next year. James Driscoll is at No. 125, and he was among those who opened with a 66 to tie for the lead.

The others were Arjun Atwal, Nathan Green, Scott Stallings, Derek Lamely and Gary Woodland, who won in Tampa earlier this year and is getting ready for a trip to China for the World Cup.

Donald is trying to become the first player to win the PGA Tour and European Tour money titles in the same year. He also is trying to become the first player since Tom Lehman in 1996 to win the PGA Tour money title in the final tournament.

The format is for two pros to play with two amateurs, and with Nos. 1 and 2 on the money list at Disney, it was natural for the tour to put Donald and Simpson in the same group. They had a few light-hearted moments.

“He asked when I was having my offseason,” Donald said. “I said, ‘Well, it was going to be this week. Thanks for playing the last two weeks.’ But yeah, just some light-hearted banter out there.”

LPGA: Top-ranked Yani Tseng opened her home event with a 4-under 68 to join Japan’s Ai Miyazato atop the LPGA Taiwan Championship in Yang Mei, Taiwan.

EUROPEAN: In Catellon, Spain, Ross McGowan shot a 7-under 64 to take a two-shot lead after the opening round of the Castello Masters.