Chris Wood set the clubhouse target on day one of the Turkish Airlines Open but Lee Westwood was on the charge as The Final Series got under way in Turkey.
The Lyoness Open Powered by Greenfinity champion is 17th in the Race to Dubai and recorded an eagle and five birdies in an impressive round of 66 to sit six under after his first round.
But Westwood, playing in the very final group of the day, recorded eight birdies to open up a one shot lead with four holes to play.
The 42 year old opened with a birdie on the tenth and then recorded seven in nine holes from the 14th to fly up the leaderboard. It could have been even better for the Englishman who was just millimetres from an albatross on the fourth but had to make do with a birdie.
Jaco Van Zyl was then seven under with five to play after five birdies and an eagle with Wood a further shot back.
The 27 year old turned in 33 and then a long putt on the fourth handed him an eagle and the lead before he parred his way home.
Race to Dubai leader Rory McIlroy was then in the group at five under after a bogey free 67.
The Northern Irishman got off to a good start with a chip in on the 11th for birdie to get him to one under.
Seven pars in a row then followed to turn in 36 but the 26 year old required a brilliant save on the 18th. His drive was well left and ended up by a tree with the World Number Three playing out left handed before putting his third shot just short of the green. His chip then ended up ten feet short but a nerveless putt avoided a bogey.
Birdies on the first, third, fourth and seventh followed to complete a tidy 67.
Richard Bland, Rafael Cabrera-Bello and and Fabrizio Zanotti were all in the clubhouse alongside McIlroy at five under with Kiradech Aphibarnrat and Julien Quesne at the same mark out on the course.
Lucas Bjerregaard, who has four top tens in his last six starts, signed for a 68 along with Peter Uihlein to sit at four under alongside Shane Lowry who finished bogey-bogey to slip back.
Thomas Aiken, Lee Slattery and Bernd Wiesberger were also at four under with holes to play.
Danny Willett, McIlroy's nearest challenger in the Race to Dubai, signed for a 69 to sit in a large group at three under.
