Henrik Stenson overcame illness to fire an opening 66 and take a share of the lead at the Nedbank Golf Challenge in Sun City.
The Swede had been unwell in the build-up to the event but showed no signs of fatigue as he made six birdies in an unblemished effort at Gary Player Country Club to sit alongside Jaco Van Zyl at the top of the leaderboard.
A late burst of birdies on the 14th, 15th and 17th fired Van Zyl alongside Stenson, with the South African in search of his first win on The European Tour.
Stenson has nine of those to his name but was fighting form as well as fitness on Thursday after finishing in a share of last place at the 2015 season-ending DP World Tour Championship, Dubai.
His touch very much returned in South Africa, though, and the 2008 champion opened with two birdies before making further gains on the sixth, seventh and ninth to turn in 31.
An impressive up and down from the sand on the next got him to six under and he parred his way home, missing the chance to go ahead on the 17th after a brilliant recovery from a deep fairway bunker.
“I’ve been in bed with the flu for three days, and after I had to pull out of the pro-am on Tuesday I probably had a five per cent chance of playing," he said. "I felt quite a bit better this morning and the doctor didn’t see any reason why I couldn’t play.
“I’m delighted with the score but the last few holes I completely ran out of energy. From the 14th onwards my legs were like jelly and it was a real struggle.
I missed a couple of chances coming in but I would have taken one under standing on the first tee, so I’m very happy - Henrik Stenson
Van Zyl, who has 13 Sunshine Tour wins, was also bogey-free with birdies on the second, third and ninth accompanying his fast finish to leave him a shot ahead of defending champion Danny Willett.
The 36 year old was making his debut at the Nedbank Golf Challenge and admitted he was nervous as he stood on the first tee, although the nerves did not show.
“It’s a great honour and privilege to be here," he said "I watch two events on TV each year, the Masters and this, so waking up this morning, instead of making sure the beers and the biltong were ready, I had to make sure my shoes were polished and my clubs were clean and go to work.
“On the first tee I could feel my heart beating in my throat. It didn’t slow down for the first three holes but I managed to pick up a couple of quick birdies early on which settled the nerves a bit.
“I hit ten out of 14 fairways and a couple I missed weren’t in trouble, just in the first cut. There were a couple of short irons into par fours that I would’ve liked to get a bit closer, but the main thing is the 27 putts.
Tomorrow I’m going to come out and enjoy every single moment. It really is a thrill to be here. As a South African, it’s phenomenal to be part of this - Jaco Van Zyl
Willett matched playing partner Stenson with a pair of opening birdies and when he rolled in a nerveless six-footer on the fifth, he looked to have picked up straight from his four-shot victory last year.
But he could not keep pace with Stenson and, despite matching him with a birdie on the tenth and picking up another on the 15th, he will go into the second round a shot off the lead.
Marc Leishman and Branden Grace were then at four under with Leishman the man to make the early running.
The Australian had been in the first group out and had an early contender for shot of the week with just his second stroke as he played from the side of a path on the right to four feet. He missed the birdie putt but made gains on the fifth and ninth to turn in 34. Further birdies followed on the 14th and the last to hand the 32 year old a solid start.
Grace finished in the top ten at the Alfred Dunhill Championship last week and birdies on the second, third, ninth, tenth and 14th had put him within touching distance of the lead. But he failed to get up and down on the 17th and dropped back into a share of fourth.
English duo Ross Fisher and Matthew Fitzpatrick were then in the group a shot further back alongside World Golf Championships - HSBC Champions winner Russell Knox and American Robert Streb.
Fisher has an excellent record at this event, never finishing outside the top five in his three appearances so far, and last year's runner-up was four under through 12 holes before making his only bogey of the day on the 15th.
Fitzpatrick had gains on the second, third and tenth and, while he also dropped a shot on the 15th, he got it back on the last as he attempts to follow up a rookie campaign that yielded ten top ten finishes.
Knox was making his debut as a full European Tour Member following his win in Shanghai and the Scotsman has stated his desire to qualify for Darren Clarke's Ryder Cup Team.
He did those chances no harm on Thursday with four birdies and a bogey leaving him alongside Streb who also had a single dropped shot.
Kiradech Aphibarnrat, Thongchai Jaidee, Miguel Angel Jiménez, Louis Oosthuizen, Bernd Wiesberger and Chris Wood were then two under with Victor Dubuisson, Tommy Fleetwood, Andy Sullivan and Charl Schwartzel making it 19 of the 30-man field under par for the day.
Keegan Bradley was at level par after a remarkable round that saw him recover from a triple-bogey on the first with five straight birdies. He then dropped two shots in a row before a birdie at the 11th got him to one under, but two more bogeys followed on the 14th and 16th with a closing gain getting him back level.
