Sébastien Gros mastered the windy conditions at Golf Club Gut Laerchenhof to open up a one-shot lead on day one of the BMW International Open.
With high winds and unforgiving rough presenting a major challenge for the high-class field gathered in Germany, the Frenchman carded a four under par 68 to lead the way from Spaniard Jorge Campillo, Scotland's Scott Jamieson, Englishman Aaron Rai and Swede Henric Sturehed.
Swede Christofer Blomstrand, Chilean pair Nico Geyger and Mark Tullo, England's David Howell, Frenchman Victor Perez and local favourite Nicolai von Dellingshausen were then two shots off the lead.
Gros won twice en route to graduating from the Challenge Tour in 2015 but had to go back to the Qualifying School last season, regaining his card and then equalling his best European Tour finish with a tie for fourth at the Tshwane Open.
"Today was very special because the conditions were quite brutal,” he said. “There was a lot of wind, sometimes a three-club wind, so it's a good start.
“It's just Thursday so no need to start thinking about anything, it's just a good round, and we'll try to take enough confidence out of this round to keep going for the rest of the week.
"If we got 72 holes with this wind, it could be our US Open just after the US Open. You have to keep the ball in play and you have to be good on the greens, especially with the wind. The putter has been working today, I just hope it will keep me smiling all week."
The 28 year old quickly moved into the lead after starting in the afternoon, making birdies on the first, third, eighth and ninth to turn in 32. A six-footer at the 15th moved him two ahead but he gave the shot straight back on the next.
Qualifying School graduate Sturehed birdied the first, third, fifth and eighth with a bogey on the fourth to turn in 33 and dropped another shot on the 12th before an eagle on the par five 13th catapulted him into the lead in the morning.
Another gain on the 15th had him two clear but bogeys on the 16th and last dropped him back to three under alongside Rai.
The putter has been working today, I just hope it will keep me smiling all week - Sébastien Gros
The 23 year old - a three-time winner on the Challenge Tour last season - birdied the third, seventh and ninth with a bogey on the eighth, and added another gain on the 15th to hit the summit.
Jamieson quickly got to three under with birdies at the first, third and fifth but could not make any further progress, recovering from bogeys on the sixth, 11th and 14th with quick responses on the seventh, 13th and 15th.
Campillo has five top fives in his last nine events and was going well again with birdies on the tenth, 15th and third, and a brilliant 25-foot putt on the seventh had him in a share of the lead. A second bogey of the day on the ninth then dropped him back to three under.
Perez made a single bogey on the ninth but came home with birdies on the 11th, 14th and 17th to jump into contention.
Blomstrand made his sixth birdie of the day on the last to move into the group at two under but he also made four bogeys.
Geyger overcame a double-bogey on the sixth with five birdies but dropped a shot on the 17th, while countryman Tullo dropped two shots on the fourth but added five birdies and a bogey.
Von Dellingshausen made his European Tour debut at this event last season as he finished in a tie for 26th and on Thursday he had an eagle on the par five third to go with three birdies and three bogeys.
Howell - winner of this event in 2005 - cancelled out a double-bogey on the 14th with an eagle on the third while also making four birdies and two bogeys.
There was a large group at one under including defending champion Andres Romero, 2013 champion Ernie Els, Shot Clock Masters winner Mikko Korhonen and three-time European Tour winner Andy Sullivan.
Local favourite and 2008 champion Martin Kaymer was in the group at level par, a shot clear of World Number 18 Sergio Garcia and two ahead of World Number Ten Tommy Fleetwood.
