Sweden's Johan Edfors, who has played more than 100 European Tour events without adding to his three wins in 2006, set the pace at the inaugural Volvo Golf Champions in Bahrain.
The 35 year old had nine birdies in an eight under par 64 for an early two shot lead over compatriot Peter Hanson, who still had four holes to play, and Spain's Pablo Larrazabal.
The only mistake made by Edfors came on the short 16th - his seventh - but he was already three under when that happened and he came straight back with another birdie.
More fireworks came on the front nine, which he covered in 31 and completed with back-to-back birdies.
"I think I am a lot better player than five years ago, but the results have not really shown that," he said.
"It's all up to where they put the flags here. I had a bunch of chances from around 15 feet and holed a few of them."
Big-hitting Spaniard Alvaro Quiros also made nine birdies, but trips to the water on both the 18th and seventh cost him double bogeys and that added up to a five under 67.
Quiros was playing with Sergio Garcia and talented teenager Matteo Manassero and they finished on the same mark.
Garcia, now down at 80th in the Official World Golf Ranking, is making his first start of the season and his bogey-free score was his best on The European Tour for just over a year.
The 31 year old started 2010 with rounds of 66-67 in Abu Dhabi, but they proved a false dawn. He did not have a top three finish all year in either Europe or America.
Manassero, still three months away from his 18th birthday, became The European Tour's youngest winner in Spain last October and his day was spoilt only by a missed 18 inch putt on the first.
Colin Montgomerie became a victim of his own course design at the 408 yard fifth, going from the desert into a hazard and running up a triple-bogey seven.
Last year's Ryder Cup Captain finished with a level par 72, but will probably need to improve on that to survive to the weekend.
Padraig Harrington, disqualified in Abu Dhabi last week, and Ian Poulter, who missed the cut there, were among the later starters, while Paul Casey, at ninth in the world the top-ranked player in the field, was three under after 16 despite a double bogey at the 17th.
The afternoon starters had more windy conditions to deal with, but Ireland's Peter Lawrie still reached five under after 13 holes and was into a tie for fourth.
Fellow Dubliner Harrington was three under with six to play, but playing partner Poulter stood only level par.
Lawrie bogeyed two of his last three holes to slip back to four under, but England's Graeme Storm had four birdies in five holes around the turn and climbed to five under with five to play.
Harrington picked up another shot on the 11th, but failed to birdie either of the par fives on the back nine and remained three under after 16.
Poulter, in contrast, birdied both of them, but then three-putted the short 16th to drop to one under.
