West Des Moines, IA (My Sportsbook) - Scuffling to make cuts against younger players on the PGA Tour, Olin Browne found himself a new role -- the youthful rookie.

It fit him like a glove.

Browne shot a four-under 67 in his Champions Tour debut Friday to earn a share of the lead after the first round of the Principal Charity Classic.

A three-time winner on the PGA Tour, Browne is tied for first place with Bruce Vaughan and Lonnie Nielsen on a crowded leaderboard Glen Oaks Country Club.

Eleven players are a shot further back at 68, including Nick Price, Tom Kite, Fred Funk and Jeff Sluman.

Overall, 52 players are within five strokes of the co-leaders.

Browne turned 50 on May 22, qualifying for the Champions Tour. He showed no rust Friday in his first competitive round since missing the cut at the PGA Tour's Transitions Championship in March.

"I'm really happy I'm here and got off to a nice start," said Browne.

He scrambled to save par on his first hole, admitting that "I always have butterflies on the first tee."

Browne went on to play the next eight holes at three-under par. His first two birdies were set up by close four-iron approaches at the third and sixth holes.

He reached the green in two shots at the 510-yard ninth -- a par five -- and two-putted for his third birdie, making the turn in 32 shots.

"I'm more relaxed out here," said Browne.

Pulling his second shot at No. 10, Browne made his only bogey of the day. But he rebounded later with back-to-back birdies at the 15th and 16th holes.

He reached another par-five green in two shots when he landed a seven-wood on the surface at 15. Brown then knocked a six-iron within inches for his birdie at 16.

After missing 5-of-6 cuts this season on the PGA Tour, Browne, whose last win came in 2005, was optimistic about his new start despite his unfamiliar surroundings.

"I'm learning again, starting over, and that's great," he said.

Vaughan was the first player in the clubhouse at 67 after collecting five birdies over his last 10 holes. He also made a bogey during that stretch, hitting his drive into a hazard at 15.

"I hit it good, and I haven't been doing that," said the reigning Senior British Open champion. "[The course] is playing harder than it did last year."

Nielsen also posted five birdies and a bogey, picking up four of his shots with a quartet of birdies on the front nine. He found trouble at the 14th, making bogey, but came back with a 12-foot birdie putt at 15 to tie Vaughan for the lead.

"I'm hitting the ball well, but just don't have the touch right now," said Nielsen. "I'm off for some reason."

Jay Haas, who won this tournament last year just a week after claiming the Senior PGA Championship, started his title defense with a one-over 72.