Perth native Brett Rumford delighted the local crowds as he battled it out at the top of the leaderboard early on day one of the ISPS HANDA Perth International.
The 38 year old missed a large part of last season after undergoing surgery to have 30 centimetres of his small intestine removed following a blockage, but he has made a steady start to the 2016 campaign.
The five-time European Tour winner has yet to miss a cut in five events and, after finishing in the top ten recently at the Tshwane Open, held a five-way share of the lead in the early stages at Lake Karrinyup Country Club.
After starting on the tenth, Rumford made seven birdies and three bogeys in his first 14 holes to sit at four under alongside countryman Peter Senior, fellow West Australian Scott Strange, France's Romain Wattel and Northern Irishman Cormac Sharvin.
Playing partner Senior, 56, showed glimpses of the form that won him four European Tour titles as he turned in 32.
Strange had held the lead on his own at five under before a dropped shot on the 14th, while Wattel had six birdies and two bogeys through 13 holes.
Sharvin, playing in his first European Tour event, had a single bogey in his first 12 holes.
Alexander Levy had an eagle on the 15th as he turned in 31 but back-to-back bogeys on the fourth and fifth dropped him to three under alongside Scott Arnold, Shiv Kapur and Mikko Korhonen.
World Number 21 Louis Oosthuizen was then in the group at two under through 14 holes, with playing partner and defending champion Thorbjørn Olesen at level par.
