South African George Coetzee moved into an early lead when the BMW PGA Championship began at Wentworth Club, where a host of big names were going well in the early stages.
The 25 year old Coetzee, yet to record his first victory on The European Tour, birdied three of the first four holes to be one in front of England's 2010 champion Simon Khan, Scotland’s Marc Warren, Ryder Cup hero Graeme McDowell and seven-time winner at Wentworth Ernie Els.
World Number One Rory McIlroy was off to a slow start with a bogey at the second but the Northern Irishman then eagled the long fourth to move to one under.
Third-ranked Lee Westwood, meanwhile, scrambled well for two opening pars, but went long and left with his approach to the 465 yard third and by three-putting ran up a double bogey six.
He was back on the course where he lost a play-off and the World Number One spot to Luke Donald a year ago.
Donald, trying to follow Nick Faldo and Colin Montgomerie as the only players to make a successful defence of the title, was among the later starters on day one.
McIlroy, playing in Europe as World Number One for the first time, was paired with Els and Martin Laird.
Els, the man who has toughened up the West Course, made a 12 foot birdie putt at the second, but US-based Scot Laird set off on his debut in the championship with two bogeys.
Coetzee lost top spot to Scot Marc Warren when he eagled the 531 yard 12th - back as a par five this year.
Warren bogeyed the short 14th and slipped back to three under alongside not only Coetzee, but also Els, who had birdied three of the first six.
Westwood's second birdie came on the 391 yard eighth to put him level par, while McIlroy remained one under after six.
