Francesco Laporta, Thomas Linard and Jason Scrivener topped a congested leaderboard as the Red Course at Royal Golf Dar Es Salam bared its teeth on day one of the Trophée Hassan II.
History was made in Rabat as the European Tour and the Ladies European Tour played events concurrently at the venue, with the women tackling the Blue Course in the Lalla Meryem Cup this week.
It was the European Tour's first visit to the layout since 2010 when Rhys Davies finished the week 25 under, but there is little chance of anyone going that low this week with all four rounds on the Red Course.
Laporta, Linard and Scrivener all got round in four under par 68 to open up a one-shot advantage over Younes El Hassani, Estanislao Goya, Mike Lorenzo-Vera, Adrien Saddier and Borja Virto Astudillo.
Scrivener finished 117th in the Race to Dubai last season in his rookie year and had to come through Qualifying School for the second consecutive campaign but he has made a very consistent start to 2016, missing just one cut in nine events.
The Australian continued that impressive form in Morocco, making birdies on the second, fourth, 11th, 14th and 15th, with a single bogey on the 13th.
It was pretty tricky out there this morning, pretty wet and quite cold, so to shoot a 68 in those conditions was very pleasing - Jason Scrivener
"There are some tricky holes early on, so to birdie two of my first four was just the sort of start I was looking for. After that, I hung in there well and putted nicely, so it was a good day all round."
Laporta recovered brilliantly from two early bogeys to join Scrivener in the clubhouse at four under with the help of an eagle on the 12th.
The Italian rookie claimed the 15th card at Q-School in November but has made just one cut so far this season and began his round with bogeys on the second and third. He bounced back with birdies on the fifth, ninth and tenth before a three on the par five 12th and a birdie on the last catapulted him up the leaderboard.
"I played very badly for the first five events, but last week in Madrid on the Challenge Tour was much better," he said. "I finished fourth and took a lot of confidence from the week, so hopefully that has turned my season around."
Linard finished ninth last season on the Challenge Tour and held a two-shot lead at one point in what is just his 14th European Tour start.
He eagled the 12th and, after a bogey on the 14th, made a hat-trick of gains to turn in a share of the lead. Further birdies on the second and fourth moved the Frenchman ahead but late bogeys on the sixth and ninth dropped him back into a share.
"It is difficult for me because one week I play and one week I don't play so it's very difficult," he said. "In Europe it's very easy now.
"The event is good."
Local favourite El Hassani delighted the home crowds with a chip-in on the seventh on his way to a 69 while Argentina's Goya birdied four of the last five and Frenchman Lorenzo-Vera birdied four of the last six.
Saddier, another Frenchman, had four birdies and a bogey and Spaniard Virto Astudillo had six birdies and three bogeys.
Clément Berardo, Ben Eccles, Andrew Johnston, Mikko Korhonen, Zander Lombard, Renato Paratore, Kevin Phelan and Romain Wattel were then all at two under.
