Andrew Dodt and Rashid Khan held an early share of the lead as the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open got under way in tough scoring conditions at the Four Seasons Golf Club at Anahita.
The tournament has moved from the south to the east of the stunning island for 2016 and high winds had been anticipated to make going low difficult this week.
So it proved on Thursday morning, as just nine players were under par in the early stages, with Australian Dodt and India's Khan leading the way at three under.
Two-time European Tour winner Dodt made a birdie-birdie start from the tenth and after a bogey on the 14th and birdie on the 15th, he eagled the par five last to turn in 32. A bogey followed on the second and that put him alongside Khan, who had also played 11 holes.
The 25 year old also started birdie-birdie on the back nine and would make two further gains to go with a brace of bogeys as he turned in a topsy-turvy 34 before a birdie on the first got him to three under.
There was then a group of seven players two shots back with Khan's countryman Arjun Atwal having made two birdies and a bogey in ten holes.
A second Australian in Sam Brazel was also in that group through 14 holes, alongside English playing partner Daniel Gavins.
The group at one under was then completed by four South Africans, with Dean Burmester having completed 11 holes, Keith Horne and Danie van Tonder through ten and Jbe Kruger having just made the turn.
Defending champion George Coetzee was then one of 12 players at level par.
