Starts do not come much better than the one made by Swede Mikael Lundberg at the Omega European Masters in Switzerland.
In need of a big week at 144th on The Race to Dubai - only the top 115 keep their cards - Lundberg kicked off with two birdies, holed-in-one at the 191 yard third and then birdied the next.
Lundberg's six iron ace earned him a one kilogram gold ingot from Credit Suisse worth approximately €23,000. The prize was only available to the first hole in one of the week at the third.
Five under par for four holes, the 37 year old double Russian Open champion led by two from a group which included England's Steve Webster and Ryder Cup Spaniard Miguel Angel Jiménez.
The 46 year old from Malaga clinched his fourth cap with a third-place finish in the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles on Sunday and on his 22nd visit to Crans-sur-Sierre picked up shots at the 11th, 14th and 15th.
Lundberg remained five under after eight and Webster joined him out in front by turning in 32 and then adding another birdie on the tenth.
Jiménez bogeyed the 16th and 18th, but did get one of the shots back on the next to stand two under.
Ryder Cup teammate Edoardo Molinari, the winner in Scotland last week, and Australian Greg Norman, back in action for the first time since shoulder surgery last September, were among the later starters.
Lundberg, whose 16th place in the Czech Open two weeks ago was his best performance of the season, completed a front nine 30 with yet another birdie on the long ninth, but started for home with his first bogey.
That put him back alongside Webster and one ahead of England's Robert Coles and 17 year old Italian Matteo Manassero, playing the sixth of his seven invitations after turning professional in May and yet to miss a halfway cut.
