Paul Peterson hit the top of the leaderboard early on a tough-scoring day one of the Hero Indian Open at DLF Golf and Country Club.
The Gary Player designed course was hosting a men's international tournament for the first time and was proving a tough test for the field gathered in New Delhi, with just nine players under par in the early stages.
American Peterson was among those, making three birdies in his first 11 holes to sit alongside Malaysia's Danny Chia and a shot clear of local favourite Rahil Gangjee and England's Steven Tiley.
D+D REAL Czech Masters champion Peterson was bogey-free in his opening 11 holes from the tenth, picking up shots on the 13th, 17th and first.
Chia had completed just seven holes but he had certainly entertained the crowd with them, making a birdie-birdie-birdie start before dropping a shot on the 13th and picking it back up on the next.
Gangjee, one of a large home contingent this week, started bogey-birdie and completed the same sequence on the 14th and 15th before adding birdies on the 18th and fourth in his first 13 holes.
Tiley claimed the fifth card at the 2016 Qualifying School and he had completed ten holes with birdies on the third, fifth and eighth and a single bogey on the fourth.
Italy's Matteo Manassero overcame an opening double-bogey to sit at one under after 11 holes alongside Danthai Boonma, Gavin Green, Liang Wenchong and Rashid Khan.
There was then a large group at level par including World Number 26 Rafa Cabrera Bello and home favourite Anirban Lahiri, who excited the crowds with a hat-trick of birdies from the 15th but double-bogeyed the 18th.
