Alexander Levy made the most of his local knowledge as he fired a six under par 66 to take a share of the lead during the first round at the Shenzhen International.
The Frenchman won his first European Tour event at Genzon Golf Club as he recorded a 62 en route to victory at the Volvo China Open in 2014, and followed that up with a win at the Portugal Masters six months later.
He has yet to add to his victory tally but has found some excellent form after missing his first three cuts of the year, finishing second at the ISPS HANDA Perth International and 14th at last week's Real Club Valderrama Open de España.
His opening 66 put him alongside South Korea's Soomin Lee on a weather-affected day, and the 25 year old was quick to acknowledge that his experience on the course was key.
"It's always nice to shoot under par," he said.
I have some very good memories here and it's always nice to play this golf course when you have your first win - Alexander Levy
"I just played great today, and I played well last week and a few bad rounds with the wind. I feel my game is in a good way.
"It's nice because you have some big memories and, for me, it's really nice to play on this place."
Levy opened with a birdie on the tenth and followed that with another gain on the 13th before he went eagle-birdie on the 17th and 18th to turn in 31.
Another birdie followed on the first and Levy parred his way home to set the pace in the morning session.
Lee was also bogey-free with gains on the first, fourth, ninth, 13th, 14th and 17th as he continued his excellent start to life on The European Tour.
The 22 year old is playing just his sixth event but finished in a tie for third on his debut at the UBS Hong Kong Open and followed that with a tie for second at the Maybank Championship Malaysia.
Lee felt that his putting was one of the reasons he did not get over the line in Malaysia and revealed that he has been working hard to improve that aspect of his game.
"It's good, because really I needed to change," he said. "It was really a problem for me in Perth through Thailand, so I changed.
"I had three weeks in Korea, so I'm all practising putting and then change.
"I think this course seems like Malaysia, good for me. Small greens, narrow greens and heavy rough. I just tried to keep in the fairway and greens and then completed some putts."
A 46-minute delay due to lightning in the afternoon meant 32 players would have to return to complete their rounds on Friday morning, among them Brandon Stone who was one shot off the lead coming up the last.
The South African had birdies on the second, fourth, sixth, ninth, 13th and 16th, with a bogey on the third.
The French duo of Raphaël Jacquelin and Gary Stal, Spaniard Eduardo de la Riva, Ireland's Paul Dunne and Dutchman Joost Luiten were then at four under.
Defending champion Kiradech Aphibarnrat and two-time Major Championship winner Bubba Watson were in the group at one under.
